Hello and welcome! This forum continues the month by month journey that several of us have been making together – most recently in Optimistic in October – and also looks ahead to the forthcoming festive season. The name No Nonsense November is a nod to the fact that if we want to shed a few pounds before the dreaded “C word” then now is the time to do just that. But it is more than that: we are an honest and friendly bunch who are all at different stages of our BSD/Fast 800 journey but still have goals that we are working towards. For many of us our goals are related to weight loss or maintenance, but for others they are different: perhaps to achieve progress in other health-related measures, to increase exercise or just try to work out our complex relationship with food and eating. Whoever you are, wherever you’re at, this forum is a place where we can share those goals and encourage each other to stand for No Nonsense and make some progress during November. If you would like to join us and be part of our ups and downs this month then please start posting: we would love to meet you!

Dreamscometrue what a lovely welcoming post ….. I’ll be here as much as I can and thank you for setting up our ‘November ‘ challenge.

Hi DCT, thanks for starting this thread 🙂
I “hit” goal in September and was planning to focus on building muscle mass in October. I probably did build some muscle mass in October as I did quite a bit of weight lifting however I did bring back some fat mass with it too.
Exercising made me very hungry and I was eating past satiety. So this month I’m back to basics :
Weighing in daily, eating high fat low carbs and focussing on good quality fat if I do get hungry post workout, and 3 fasting days per week. I’m confident that will take care quickly of the extra 2kg that crept on 👍
Keep on keeping on!

Tip : if you need some motivation to stay on track, go clothes shopping 🙈
Had to go and quickly get a new top over lunch time for a work outing tonight, and the change room, mirror, lights, etc were a very good motivation and reminder as to why I’m on this journey 🤣

Thanks DCT for setting up this thread and for your lovely welcome message.
I’m still working towards my goal, and to be honest probably will be for the next 10-12 months. I tend to lose weight slowly, a lot of this is due to health conditions and medications, but some is due to my lack of discipline and consistency too 😊
Optimistic October was reasonably successful for me, with a 2kg loss. It would be good to discard at least the same amount in November. It is going to be a busy month for me as I’m changing jobs for the next 6-12 months,
Same organisation but different department, duties and hours. I’ve been in the same role for more than 10 years so am looking forward to having a change, and a new challenge.
December will of course bring lots of social occasions so it will be good to get into a good, no nonsense routine in November.

Thanks for this thread! I love the warmth, support and positive attitude of this group, great work! I’m on my second fasting day, having lost 4kg on 2 weeks of the ‘800’. I feel pretty good and I’m loving getting into some old clothes again! Must try to buy something new and brave that change room like you, LouiseKangaroo!! Now I’m losing weight I’m anxious about how much/what to eat on non- fasting days. My brain is trying to tell me “go for it” but I’m scared I’ll fall back into bad habits! Tips please!! 👠

Thanks for setting it up @DCT!
Count me in.
Congratulations @shoegirl! What an achievement.
Re: ideas what to eat on non-fasting days. I’ve found great low carb recipes on https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/recipes
Pretty sure there’s something for everyone on there!

Hello, I’d like to join please. I had a fantastic September then barely maintained in October due to various issues. It’s not so much the scales I am looking at but how I feel. I have had a few days this month where I ate things I have been avoiding and they really don’t make me feel too good at all. I will aim for up to 5 x800 days perhaps EOD to reset. I can’t believe how energetic I feel when I eat less which is paradoxical I suppose but something many fasters experience. Good luck all!

Thank you dreamscometrue for setting up the No Nonsense November thread. October was not as optimistic for some of us but a lot of us are going to be standing for no nonsense in November. I need to pull my socks up and think about why I am not losing. I will be jumping on the scales tomorrow for my November start weight. There is no point in me even trying to predict what I could lose in November. My no nonsense plan is simply to follow the principles of the plan, eating absolutely nothing I shouldn’t, restricting the things I like (nuts, cheese) and doing more exercise (back and big toes permitting! ). With a no nonsense approach I should achieve a result so that is my plan.

Fantastic to see a lovely group of likeminded friends hoping for success. Here goes everyone…… I’ll post my start weight tomorrow morning.

I shall join you too. The least said about October the better!

For this month I am going to go back to logging everything in fatsecret.

I will join on here too, really need some fellow motivation and support. My weight discarding has stalled the last few days which is quite disheartening. But really buckling down before Christmas is appealing and approaching my goal with renewed energy. And of course to support people in a similar place!
We can do this!

Hi folks

So here it is, 1 November. And I am definitely signing up for No Nonsense November.

I am a bit ambivalent about setting a hard target for the month because I’m worried it invites disappointment. But on the other hand, I really do need to get back on track. So I’m going to set myself a target of 3 kilos for the month. It feels ambitious, but maybe it’s the spur I need.

So yes, that’s my goal: 3 kilos off by 1 December.

Good luck all,

Elky

I’m here as a newbie. Having kept an honest food diary I’m angry with myself for what I’m putting in my body! I’ve got a young child and need to take control. HbA1C has gone up from 35 to 42 in the last year. I’m determined to turn this around!
I’m not setting a weight loss target. My goal is to stick to the plan.

Good Morning/Evening
Weight this morning 149.2…….Here we go…… I’ll weigh in every Friday during November.
Good luck to everyone who is having a No Nonsense November!

127 lbs this morning. I want to be 123 by 1st December. I am only 5feet, so will still be slightly plump at that weight, but I lose very slowly, especially if I eat the delicious granary loaf which I recently discovered at the new freshly baked sounter in my supermarket. I am determined I will no longer be tempted as I really want to be slim again, which I hope to achieve by March. There will be no more nonsense from me in November. Today is the first day of the rest of my life so onwards and downwards I will go, with the help and motivation from this forum. Have a great day everyone.

Thanks MelBelle, lovely to have your support. I checked out that link, YUM! I fancy making some low carb pizza this weekend! Do you have a favourite recipe?
👠

Morning everyone! Here we are in November already :@

I think so far we have Clarinet Cathy, SueBlue, JGwen, Verano, LouiseKangaroo, Shoegirl, MelBelle, Annach, Caronl, StrongCurves, Elky, Tomsk and Au secours. Welcome! And hopefully more will join as we go.

I promise that every post will be read, and that if you need help or advice then someone will respond.

I do hope that we all achieve our goals for November, or at least make significant progress towards them. We can do this!

I’m speaking to myself as much as anyone else here. I’d been maintaining quite nicely for some time on 138/139lb (eventual aim to get to 133lb then re-evaluate) but have gone a bit wayward recently and am currently 144lb. So my goal for November is to get safely below 140lb again.

Good luck everyone and let’s all cheer each other on X

The last four months have been good for me as I seem to have at last found the best format for me to get back in control and have lost 17lbs.
I am looking forward to ‘no nonsense November’ and hope to lose half a stone to get into the 14s and to give a little more room in the ‘going to cold NJ for Christmas coat’
Everyone spends more determined for this challenge and let’s hope we all have success.
X B

Ok – here I go!
Weighed this morning and annoyed (though why would I be surprised?!) to have tipped back over into the 14s where I haven’t been since I was pregnant 4 years ago.

Struggle with eggs in the morning but didn’t panic eat the leftover Halloween cakes. Waited until I felt hungry then had an apple and no sugar peanut butter.

Going to weigh in every Friday.

Can’t promise to have a completely no nonsense November as it’s my birthday with a planned trip away in a couple of weeks but definitely going to treat my birthday as 1 day and not a whole week!

I’m in for November too – like Elky, I am reluctant to set a scales target, just downwards would be good – plus drinking lots of water and moving more (my exercise bike is not just for hanging things on…). I also need to get back into the discipline of meal planning and cooking ahead so no excuse to just grab something quick. Quite easy really – so onwards!

Shoegirl,
I use the diet doctor bread roll recipe for my pizza bases. I’ve tried numerous recipes and both OH and myself find this one suits us the best. I use about a third of the mixture for each pizza but it all depends how big a pizza you want! Be aware that it’s what you put on top of it that adds up too, so the bigger the pizza the more topping you need, we found that out to our cost! the dough is a little sticky so I roll it out between 2 sheets of silicone, but you could use baking parchment. Then I transfer it to a baking sheet with the paper under it and cook it on that as it can stick. It won’t need as long as the rolls do in the oven and don’t have the temp too high as almond flour burns easily. I can’t remember how long it takes, I just keep checking it after 30 min. I make the pizzas in the morning , then pop them back a low oven for 5 minutes to crisp them up a little just before I put the toppings on. None of the substitutes for pizza are a perfect replica but this one does stay quite firm and doesn’t have an overpowering flavour.
This is a link to the bread roll recipe, incidentally they are yummy too! My OH loves them, I make a batch every week!
https://www.dietdoctor.com/recipes/the-keto-bread

Hope this helps!
Artful Owl

Hello November and I promise ‘no nonsense ‘ from me this month.
I’m not setting a weight goal for the month but I do have a dream. There is somewhere that I would love to visit. I have always dismissed it because I know that with my level mobility at the moment I would really get frustrated not being able to do all that I want.
So my plan, not a short term one, is to see if losing a good amount of weight will improve my mobility/stamina enough to make the trip feasible. This is more of a ‘New Year Resolution’ than a monthly goal but …… hopefully starting early will help me achieve my goal in time for next summer!
Anyway, I hope November lives up to everyone’s goal and expectations ……. best foot forward, no nonsense……

Welcome November! October was a pretty static month for weight +2lbs / -2lbs = very frustrating! So No Nonsense November is very welcome! I’ve plateaued after losing 24lbs so any advice/ tips that have helped you to kick start again would be most welcome!
A big positive for October was getting a1c results of 5.9 instead of 8.7 that it was in June when I was diagnosed with T2. Still a ways to go but my new WOE is definitely having an impact.
I m hoping to discard…not lose…around 2kg(5lbs) in November.
Best of luck and happy November everyone!
Crosie x

Hello everyone – and a big welcome to Busybee, Tomsk, Sixturkeys, Artful Owl and Crosie!

Busybee wow on your recent loss – that’s brilliant! And yes, you’re right, we do all seem more determined this time round. Whether it’s due to Christmas beckoning or other factors – who knows. But we’re off to a good start and here’s hoping for some happy and successful times this November.

Have a great weekend everyone, wherever you are and whatever you’re doing. If anyone tries out a new recipe this weekend and it works well, then maybe we can share some of those on Monday?

KOKO everyone X

I’m joining in here too. I really need to stick to a no nonsense theme.
The call of the Christmas cake bar finally got to me last night and I gave in.
Really can’t seem to get continuous motivation at the moment. I do well for a few days in a row and then just lose the will and can’t be bothered to stick with it. My weight is steadily creeping up. I know what I need to do to fix it. And I know I can do it as I’ve done it before.
So no more moaning from me……I just need to get on with it…….so that’s my aim for November. Just to get back to basics and stick with it.

Thanks, Artful Owl, I’ll get baking! 👠

Hi Everyone. Thanks to jgwen for directing me to this group .I like the no nonsense theme.I had a bad week last week so starting with a clean slate this month.my goal is always to discard 1kg per week.I will be starting the gym this week and with warmer weather more walking will be possible.I saw the dietician yesterday and was quite disappointed .He suggested a diet with lots of high fibre carbs and more lentils etc.the amount of food per meal was huge and he did not have much to say about fasting.The most helpful information was about mediteranean diet and how to review the macros in packets and cans.Generally Im a bit cynical he probably says the same stuff to everyone.Im going to miss breakfast 3 days this week to see what happens.good luck to you all

Hi I’d love to join in. Great to see an active forum!
I’m a green newbie. Hoping to stick to the fast 800 for at least 2 weeks and hopefully continue until we go away to visit my inlaws just before Christmas.
I have about 20kg, I’d be happy to leave in 2019. My dietitian has suggested slowly, steadily, lose it over two years and change the habits. But I start a new job in the new year. Well an old job in a new location and it would feel great to start in a slimmer and fitter place than I am right now.
I’m not expecting to leave all 20kg behind, but I figure any loss is great and the changes I make will be worthwhile. So right now I’m off to walk my poor neglected dog!

I am so happy this morning as I had a great no nonsense 1st November. I love a sandwich for lunch but had a omelette which was really good. I am going for lunch today with friends to a Thai restaurant. I am planning to say no thanks to dessert and just have coffee. I will have a very light evening meal so I should be successful in having another no nonsense 2nd November, so thanks for the motivation everyone. Have a great lc day. 😊

Well done Au secours! Every small victory counts.

Welcome to MagicalMe, Butterlover and Scottishgal. MagicalMe a special welcome as a newbie – we’ve all been there so do ask for any help you need. Fingers crossed that you experience a good initial weight loss to boost you on your journey – it often happens when you start Fast 800 so here’s hoping!

Good luck everyone X

Hi all,
I did this diet in 2017 and in 6 weeks went from hba1c of 60 to 43, whilst I am about the same weight currently my hba1c is 89 due to a lot of stress and eating sugar. My dr wants me to take metformin which I took on Tuesday and have been ill all week. I started back on bsd on Wed as I had no appetite and hence it was easy, i have lost 4lbs. Terrified of being on meds but need to lose about 70lbs in total.

Would love to be part of this group and celebrate my birthday in 4 weeks with more weight loss and encouragement from and to others. I didn’t think I could join a forum again as I have failed.

Welcome Shammy 🙂 your words about failure reminded me of a quote I read about failure being the opportunity to try again. In my book you haven’t failed, unless you give up completely.
I too had some success in 2017, as have many others on this thread, so we know this WOE works – we can do this!

thank you SueBlue so nice to receive a reply so soon, nice to be part of the forum and yes we can do this xxx

Butterlover…I too had a very disheartening meeting with my dietician recommending loads of carbs and not endorsing the BSD or 800. This appointment was quickly followed by a visit to the practice diabetic nurse who gave me my a1c results (8.7 in June down to 5.9 in Oct) and she was very supportive saying keep with the 800 and med diet as it is clearly working. She explained that the dieticians have set guidelines (in my case to follow Diabetes UK advice) and until the guidelines change their advice wont.
Stick with what you know works for you. I’m determined to get off Metformin so I have to reduce my a1c a bit more as well as lose/ discard 40lbs! I’ll be keeping to Michael Mosely’s guidelines!
KOKO
Crosie x

Butterlover, I too had disasterous advice from a nutritionist – told to eat carbs (potato, rice, pasta etc) at every meal and have 3 carb snacks 11am, 4pm and bedtime (crackers, bowl of cereal etc). I visited her because I was having v.low blood sugars in the afternoon and wanted advice on how to combat them without resorting to jam sandwiches or chocolate to bring the numbers back up. I promised to try diet for 3 months and gained 5kg and my bg went from 100 to 190. That is what brought me to this diet. Lots of doctors are recommending this now or the Med style eating plans. I now have 2 prunes and a plain Greek yoghurt and reduced certain meds which were causing the lows. She didn’t even ask what meds I was on.

Having just discarded 5lb during a sober October my next goal is a further 5lb in November. I set a goal of one stone by Christmas i.e. 5lb Oct, 5lb Nov and 4lb Dec and I am well on track.

Lunch yesterday at resto I managed successfully to order coffee instead of dessert, which gave me a great feeling. I can now actually see myself being successful in discarding one pound a week till Christmas, as every day will be a no nonsense day. Have a great lc no nonsense day everyone 😊

Thank you for the welcome.
In the last two days I’ve learnt that I’m not so good at sticking to my meal plan exactly, but between my OH and myself we’ve kept mostly to the calorie limit.
Good job sunshine girl!

Well done, Au secours, that is so good to stick to your eating out plan. I always feel it’s the judgement of others that weakens my will on those occasions, the chorus of “you’re so healthy, you make me feel bad” etc! But I’d rather laugh it off and stick to my healthy eating than give in and then feel like crap in the morning after a dessert I didn’t even want. Way to go will power, keep it up!

Hi all. Well it’s early days yet, but I am feeling committed to the theme and to our growing group. DCT I am loving the title. I first thought of the “nonsense” as the silly excuses we give ourselves for eating bad carbs and taking unhealthy options. But of course the nonsense is also the ridiculous processed concoctions that are designed to tempt us. I like your pithy summary, shoegirl, of not wanting to feel “like crap in the morning after a dessert I didn’t even want”.

Thanks shoegirl for your comment. My feeling of satisfaction at not ordering dessert felt better than the other times when I have been tempted!! Fitting into jeans which were impossible to zip up last year also strengthens my commitment to no nonsense November. I have spent too many years sabotaging myself by giving in and eating food which I knew would keep me from being the slim person I want to be. Being on this forum is certainly helping my determination to succeed, so thanks everyone for your encouragement.

Thank you to JGGwen for referring me here. Have read all your posts and would like to join to keep me on the straight and narrow. I know I can do it and I also know I can give in to temptation. I reached 16st a couple of years ago and decided one day that was that. I started swimming 50 lengths a day, cut out biscuits etc and i lost half a stone. THen completely by chance, I was with my wife and we called in to Tescos. I often go open a receipe book to choose what to buy and cook. As we got to the books, my wife picked up BSD and said “my sister mentioned this to me the other day”. So we bought it. I joined the gym the next day too and started doing aqua, then built up into doing spinning and cardio classes and some body conditioning stuff. I followed the principles of the diet but not the calorie counting. I was burning more than 2000 calories in the gym every day, so total calories burned per day were around 3500. No idea what I was eating but I followed it rigidly except drank wine at weekends. I lost 17 lbs in the first month. I was addicted to the gym and still am when I can get there. THey called me the “disappearing man” at the time. I lost just over 3 st in total and reached 12st 9 lbs. Since then, I got a new job, worked away nearly all the time. ate out more, drank during the week and didn’t go to the gym except at weekends. Result? Over the course of 9 months, I put 1st 7lbs back on. So, i want to get back to 13st; I don’t know if I can do all of that in November. So far I have lost quite a bit (i started on 29 October)- 6lbs in 4-5 days but I guess that is mostly water. I am going to stick to the principles again rather than staying within 800 because the amount of calories I burn in the gym leaves me too hungry. I make my own soup and try to have that as much as possible. That in the past has been my key to success,. Good luck to everyone and if anyone wants to go to the gym but is scared cos you’re overweight and unfit, I would be happy to pass on some advice and support. (Sorry this is so long!!)

I’m all set with my lunches for the week (low carb, high fat) and lovely dinners too! If I’m not organised, I don’t tend to feel as motivated. I’m still (just) in ketosis after eating some sweet things but going back to this WOE going forwards. Determined to see the last 10lb or so come off before Christmas. Also getting back to the gym. I do weight training and yoga as well as being on my feet a good portion of the day. Been out of regular exercise for two weeks – no more! You really start to feel it in your mood the longer you leave it.
After doing the Fast 800 almost 3 weeks, the biggest takeaway has been living healthier in general. My cravings have diminished significantly and I FEEL so much better with more non starchy foods and healthy fats.
Onwards and downwards!

Hi everyone – I’m a few days late, but looking forward to being No Nonsense in November!
I’ve not had the best week. I was fine until Thursday night and then I had a dinner out at an amazing resto with an old friend I’d not seen for ages. I went back to the good place on Friday, and by Saturday morning I was nearly back to my pre-holiday weight at 65.9kgs. Then I went to a Day of the Dead all day party and didn’t acquit myself very well. That’s including three glasses of wine. I woke up feeling horrible yesterday, so its definitely the vino. I had a brunch and a birthday thing yesterday – one glass of wine at the latter and I didn’t eat anything. Brunch was okay too.
I am going to Sydney on Wednesday to take my Dad to have a procedure. We will be there until Friday (hopefully not longer, fingers crossed it goes smoothly). Breakfast is not included at the hotel and there is a gym and a pool. He has to fast on Wednesday, so I will join him. I will follow the plan all week and then on Sunday I fly out for a holiday which will probably include a bit more indulgence – it will also be my birthday while I’m there. I will still take it easy and there will be pilates three times per week with the friend I am staying with, and tons of walking.
Here’s to No Nonsense November!
xo

Morning all. Welcome to all newcomers!

I’m loving the positivity on this thread and caronl brilliant double meaning for the name too! I had been thinking of no nonsense in terms of being disciplined and not making excuses (my forte!) but also great to think of it as not putting rubbish into out bodies.

Heiding thanks for sharing your post and I’m sure you’ll get back on track this week. But it’s great that we can be honest on here about those times when we go off piste: and the good news is that we can get back on board again quickly. Hope all goes well with your father btw x

But Shammy I hope that heiding’s post is an encouragement to you too. You will start losing weight again now you are back on board so please don’t feel that you have failed: I love what SueBlue said about seeing it as another opportunity to try again. So stay with us and we’ll do our best to help you have the happiest of birthdays in 4 weeks time 🙂

Keith glad you found us and it sounds like you’re doing really well so far this month. It’ll be exciting to see how much weight loss you do manage in November, and yes I hope you can help those of us who are wanting to get into a better exercise routine.

Have a good week everyone. My weigh in day is going to be Friday so I’m hoping to see a couple of pounds discarded this week ….. here’s hoping!

Thanks for the tip on using the keto bread recipe off dietdoctor.com for pizza @Artful Owl! I’m going to try it too. @shoegirl please report back how you go! I haven’t had pizza in AGES.

Another pizza crust recipe I was looking at used psyllium husk. For example: https://www.ruled.me/low-carb-pepperoni-pizza/

I’ve had a few days struggle with hormones and have worked out that I just can’t make myself delicious fat bombs and not overindulge. Also, that I have little control with cashews so just need to not snack on those.

Today’s my first day in a few days that I’ve managed to get back into the swing of things. Two meals, no snacks. I’m having “bulletproof cinnamon tea” for breakfast. (Cinnamon tea with a tablespoon of MCT oil – I can’t do coffee).

@au secours – I’m 5 foot too. It took me a while to work out that I needed to be low carb + TRE at least 14:10 to get great results. Is that the case for you?

Hi MelBelle, Yes low carb and 16/8 is the only way for me to lose. If I indulge in a slice of toast for breakfast instead of just a multivitamin drink, I always gain at least a pound. It is when I smell the lovely aroma of toasted bread I want to indulge, (my DH likes toast for breakfast). but I know bread is a no no for me. I gave up bread and potatoes in 2011 which helped me to discard 20 lbs, but it took a long time. At the moment I am the lowest weight I have been since 2011, but I want to discard another 15 lbs. I know it will take weeks to do that but with determination and perseverance I will do it.
I had a great lc no nonsense day yesterday and intend having another one today.
Have a great no nonsense lc day everyone. 😊

Half term+children+not being at home= weight gain. Who knew?
Starting November with a gain of 1.5 kilos from September’s achievement. Sore back, bloat, digestive distress etc etc etc 🙄. Fantastic thinking about having a desert, will channel the attitude.

MelBelle, the Diet Doctor bread recipe uses psyllium too, I let it stand for 5 minutes or so after I’ve mixed it up to allow the psyllium to soak up the water. It’s not an identical copy of pizza, the base isn’t quite as crisp but it scratches our itch!

Au secours, I feel your pain at the smell of bread toasting, that would be my downfall too! I’m thankful that my OH also embraces this WOE which makes life much easier to deal with.

I’ve decided that losing weight is so much easier than maintenance! I shed 35lb earlier in the year to become the lightest I’ve been since I was at school and have been in reasonably comfortable maintenance since July. Unfortunately complacency has crept in, particularly this last week or so, put it down to it being my birthday! Two meals out, one of which was to a very special restaurant that my husband surprised me with! We agreed that we’d stick to LC principles but wouldn’t let it spoil a superb meal….oh dear! One glass of wine and my sensible brain cell went awol! So I ate the delicious french bread to mop up the amazing sauce on my starter, which was a no no anyway as it was smoked trout with beetroot mousse…….OMG! My main course sole was coated in flour before it was fried and my dessert was a fig confit covered in white chocolate. I also made a LC tiramisu for us this weekend along with a rather large pizza. Is there any wonder that my weekly weigh in this morning shows a 4lb increase. That 4lb was my safety net and now its gone, Christmas is fast approaching and I don’t want to be looking at a huge gain by January. Spurred on by all your posts on here my No Nonsense starts today, back to simple LC principles. No wine and chocolate, no LC baking and smaller portions . I am determined that my skinniest ever pair of jeans will still fit me in 2020!
Good luck everyone this week with your LC no nonsense!

Hi I’m a newbie just read the book and keen to start. I MUST lose weight for an operation, surgeons orders and I only have until February to lose it. I am a binge eater, I always skupper diets by going on a crazy binge at least once a week. Everything in the book makes sense so I’m going for it. Day 2 today, I’m starving but have kept to it. Does it get any easier with the hunger ? I need all the encouragement I can get. Thanks for the lovely welcoming message