I started this diet in April, lost a stone, kept to it, decided to take a week off before starting the 5:2 and…… It all fell apart! I over indulged, fell back into bad habits, got caught up with a busy school term and holidays and and all the other excuses I come up with.

Anyway, I’m back. A terrifying 13stone 9 at 5′ 2″ and heavier than I have ever been in my life, but determined to learn from my mistakes this time. I plan to do 16 weeks of BSD and then go straight to 5;2. To be honest, I don’t know if I will succeed this time and I know it’s foolish to hope for miracles of changed behaviour, but I will try and try.

My husband is very supportive and is currently raiding Tesco for chickpeas, red onion etc. Here goes!

Okay 4stonetolose, at least this time you know what to expect and I’m sure you realise that your goal is not an impossible one, as others have proved here on the forum. Don’t think in terms of 16weeks, think in terms of goals to be achieved. Set yourself some mini goals, to help keep you focused and motivated – there is a mini goal thread to give inspiration for this. Remember to take some measurements, a reduction in these can help spur you on, as much as seeing the reading on the scales go down.

Make good use of the forum as there is heaps of advise and tips and a whole crew of lovely supportive people that you can vent at and get encouragement. Looking forward to reading your positive results soon …. Good Luck!

Oh dear we are soul sisters. I lost close to a stone in April and then did exactly what you did. Put it all back on 🙁 this time I am going to go until the end of October at least and aim aiming to lose over two stone. I am scared of my ability to not give up but I really can’t as else this weight will never come off!

You both have the power to make this work for you. Focus on today, not weeks ahead; every time you are tempted to have something you know you shouldn’t, double check with yourself that you really want to go that route and make sure you make full use of the forum, as it is a huge support. It’s got me through when I have been floundering and faltering, frustrated, or uncertain. As someone else on the forum says, ‘onward and downward’!

Thank you SunnyB, I will definitely look at the mini goals thread. I’ve tended to be a big goals kind of person in the past, but it hasn’t worked for my weightloss, so time to try something different!

I’m taking this day by day this time and am writing down each day that I a) stick to diet and b) do my 10k steps. I’m also having little treats along the way, to keep me chirpy (a facial or a haircut, or massage sort of thing). I feel a bit spoiled, booking them, but I’m trying to keep busy. I never think about food unless I’m in my kitchen, so I’m trying to spend as little time in there as possible.

Lucyjane, keep going! 2 stone by end of October would be fab!

All sounds good 4stonetolose. Wonder if you can use your little treats as a reward scheme, so that when you have achieved a mini goal, you get something nice, like a facial, massage etc.?

It does help, I give myself small rewards for hitting goals, like a haircut, or clothes buying session and am promising myself a trip to visit my sister in Australia and an ipad if I meet my major target of getting back in my wedding dress for my 25th wedding anniversary next year. Tonight’s reward is a glass of nice red wine to celebrate losing 30% off my previous weight.

What an achievement Mixnmatch, well done you!

Thank you for telling me about the mini goals thread, it was really helpful. I’ve lost just under 6lbs so far. Would it be cheating to engineer a mini treat for my first half stone??? 😂😂

Not cheating at all in my eyes, and you get even more mini goals if you measure in both metric and imperial so 5kg lost should be soon after that! 😊 Of course the mini treats need to be proportional, and affordable, so maybe just a hot bubble bath a haircut or a small piece of dark chocolate for the really mini goals. My goals are metric and imperial amount lost, % lost, dress size / measurement reduction and going under the next stone or kg mark.

Metric and Imperial? That’s inspired!

I’m thinking of getting one of those pack of 6 chocs from Hotel Chocolate (70% cocoa and with ginger on the top). Husband can then dole one out to me each time I earn one (& then hide the rest away again!).

Sounds like a great idea. Those chocolates sound lovely. I had a small piece of Green and Black’s 85% cocoa tonight (17g I measured it). Just 1 lb now to the next stone boundary and my weight starting with a 12 for the first time in decades.

Oh good luck with that last 1lb Mix! I hope that it falls off v soon! 12 is my next stone too (I’ve got 3 lb to go).

I’m really encouraged by the weekend. We had hoardes of children over and I was a) stuck in the house more than is ideal and b) I was cooking lots. I wasn’t perfect, but I only had small amounts “off plan” and they were all things like a few nuts, or a piece of ham sort of snacks. AND the scales were really kind today and still gave me a lb loss. I will need to remember good days like this when I reach one of those soul destroying plateaus that are sent to plague us!

First half stone off! 👍