Here we are at the threshold of the final quarter of 2024 …. quite how that has happened is baffling!

Some of us have met our goals on August and some of us have been challenged, struggling and not seeing the results we hoped for. What we ALL have in common though, is that we have persisted and tried our best to stay focused and on track.

Now as we start a new month, it’s the perfect time to make a fresh start. Let’s all try our best to make September a successful month; setting a goal and doing all we can to achieve it. But remember, even if we don’t hit our goal, as long as we have tried our hardest, we’ll have achieved something positive.

Hope lots of the usual ‘faces’ will join us here for another month and of course, we extend a warm welcome to any newcomers who might like to join our merry band.

Let’s boldly stride into September with determination and positivity and make September Spectacular!

Wendy, Sunshine Girl and SunnyB

Thank you for setting this up SunnyB. My goals are running from the 7th to the 7th of each month for 6 months with my final date being my birthday in February. So far for August I have met my 3.33lbs goal and looking forward to another months challenge with lots of fun and chat along with more serious advice and help.

Thank you for the French lesson recommendation (Commeunefrancaise) Sunshine Girl! I signed up for the 30 day challenge — Wine Culture! It should be useful as we are in Biarritz and Bordeaux in October. The class looks like a lot of fun!

Thank you for setting up the September thread SunnyB. Well I’m certainly going to make the best of the next four weeks to lose as much weight as I can before my meeting with an orthopaedic surgeon on 3rd October at a private hospital when I hope I can get a definitive diagnosis of my right knee. Hopefully I then might be able to have an arthroscopy but don’t yet know how much it will cost 🤔. A lot of my excess weight & flab is on my thighs & legs because I am pear shaped & they don’t look good plus I don’t want to be regarded as an anaesthetic risk because of my age & still being in the overweight range.
This next week will be less stressful for us because my son has secured the flat he wanted in Surbiton nearer to his friends & his new jobs probation period is also completed next week. He is coming to stay overnight tomorrow so we will be able to catch up then😀I also feel that I can focus more on myself again now he is largely sorted out. You never stop being a worrying parent do you even though your children are now adults?
Right then best feet forward for us all this month then🚶🏻‍♀️🍀🍀
Margaret xx

Hi all, still at the small loss I have made from last week but will do my weigh-in tomorrow before we go out.

Glad to hear you have joined the CommeUneFrancais 30 day Wine Culture course Californiagirl. I have had to turn of notifications as I am getting everything that anyone has ever said, so all those just saying hi or why they ar doing it are flooding into my inbox. Haven’t worked out which might be you. Managed to set it to a more manageable level.

Margaret, hope all goes well for you with the orthopaedic surgeon. I am sure you have made improvements in your health so fingers crossed you can have treatment.

Busy day today what with the French class, it is also the day for my monthly finances. How did I ever go to work.

I know that feeling S-G with helping out in a local Cancer Charity now on Tuesday afternoons I already have a clash with a seniors club in the village & only one free day a week now for everything else to get done plus my daily French with DuoLingo Max which is interactive. Some of my conversation is hilariously awful but it is telling me where I’ve got it wrong😄. Where does the time go to each day? I have done some exercises with weights today so feeling more positive!
Good luck with your French course Californiagirl 👏👏👍
Margaret xx

Margaret just done day one. It is about the history of French wine but the vocab is possibly out of your area of knowledge so maybe not for you. Please do check out geraldines weekly lessons. I can give you an example here is a small paragraph from What The French Don’t Say

1) “Nous” vs “On”
In textbooks, older novels and formal speeches, we use “Nous” to mean “We” :
Nous allons au cinéma. = We are going to the cinema.
However, in real everyday spoken French, what we actually use (and what you’ll actually hear) is: “On” – a simple one-syllable nasal vowel!
On va au cinéma. = We are going to the cinema [everyday French]
Using “on” isn’t slang. And it’s not incorrect, either! It’s just how modern, everyday spoken French has evolved.

Hope that just gives you a taster. Keep going with the Duolingo, I only have the basic programme but I am quite far into it so it is quite challenging but also a good refresher. I will shut up about French now.

Thank you S-G this is very kind of you & yes I do understand the use of on but it’s interesting to hear that explanation. DuoLingo being an American site also of course uses American English grammar, vocabulary & sentence construction which is different to British English & is a little confusing but I have assumed the French is standard rather than Canadien style Québécois?
Thank you for thinking of me!
Margaret xx

French is standard (except for Quebecois) but if you were to watch the video that goes with the snippet I copied you would understand that spoken French and written French are not the same thing. She is very good at explaining in a 10 or 15 min video with written pages to keep. Also, the French you learn at school is not the language spoken here.
That made it very hard for us as we thought we spoke some French when we moved here but we got a shock. Nous is very formal and rarely used when speaking. I could have used other examples of her videos or you can simply look at them on YouTube to get a better idea.

Another month…I cannot believe I have been on the forum for nearly 2 months! I read all your posts avidly, you are so encouraging and supportive. I now have my fingers crossed for the 11th September when I am having my 3 month blood test! Following the BSD diet has enabled me to lose weight and feel so much better, I hope it has also lowered my numbers back into pre-diabetic! 🤞

It is great to be able to feel part of a community.

Thank you all!

Hi all, just a little disappointed as I have only lost about .2kgs since last Monday but know if I weighed tomorrow as usual it would probably be down a little more. However, I am just going to have to take it and go out tonight and enjoy myself. Then start again tomorrow when I know I will continue with my previous success. Still just over 3 quarters of a pound to go to my 3.33lbs goal and still have until 7th September.

Nice to see others continuing. Keep on keeping on…

for the sake of clarity that was 0.2kgs not 2kgs. Just had 30 mins in the pool so feeling good.

hiya,
I hope everyone is well-
we had a lovely holiday in the Vendée, lots of delicious french food and wine, beautiful beaches and we hired bikes so some exercise too, much joy. Obvs chilled out in terms of eating…then headed to midlands for a family funeral, a few events, bit of a virus, a birthday (cakes!), a slide into biscuit-land, and here’s September….
so, back on the diet starting yesterday… in August I regained half a stone of the stone I lost pre-hol, but ready now for healthy eating- TMAD yesterday and today, back to zumba this eve…I think I’m already feeling better…

love to all, Clare xx

Glad to see some of our existing ‘crew’ joining in for another month.
Clare, you’ll soon be seeing those added pounds drift away again.
SG, I have every confidence you’ll hit your goal by the 7th. You are always so focused and determined.
Pootle, think you should see an improvement in your blood results this month. Just stick with the BSD way of eating.
Margaret, hope that your upcoming appointment goes well. I’m sure you can make this month count and I’m sure your son being more settled, will enable you to be more focused on your own needs.

Today is my weigh-in day, so I’m reporting in. Happily I’m now in a position to say I’m in the right stone band … not by a huge margin (only half a pound inside it!), but having weighed in the same for several days now, I feel the result has been consolidated. Only have 9 days before we leave home to start our next trip away, so I be doing my best to ditch another pound or two in that time.

Keep posting everyone and if you’re new to the site and would like to join us here, please just jump in, you’ll get a warm welcome.

Hi everyone !!

After being AWOL for some time here I am, ready to refocus and reboot (again !!!) I had the most fabulous time with family gathering from the UK,Greece and Australia and I just made the most of every special moment, especially with my grandson who is now 10 months old .I had a bit of a low time when everyone left last Friday and needed some readjustment time but I have to accept the memories are special and there will be other times when we get together .

I found it very hard to stay low carb over the summer mainly because several members of our family are vegan or vegetarian and we had some delicious meals but with lots of grains and beans .When you factor in the croissants and chocolatines… you get the picture and unsurprisingly I am 3 kilos heavier .

Initially we thought of returning to Australia in October for grandson’s first birthday but on reflection it would then be a very long wait until I get to see him in August next year so we are thinking of going in the Spring instead. That gives me several months to sort out the excesses !

September has always been a time of renewal for me although I am glad I am not having to deal with ‘back to school’ any more ! I did my reboot fast all day Sunday until Monday 6pm which is the only way I can properly get back in the zone.I am suffering from headaches today so concentrating on keeping hydrated with electrolytes .

Thank you to SG and Sunny for keeping the thread going . Sorry for not being around but I doubt I would have been much inspiration with my summer excesses !! I refuse to feel guilty .It was an amazing time and I know what to do to turn things aroud ! 😉

Wishing everyone a great month and hopefully I can be a bit more useful from now on !

Wendy xx

Welcome back, Wendy, we’ve missed you here, but so pleased you have had such a wonderful time with your family and especially little Leny.

We need to relax a little at special times like that, they need to be celebrated fully, even if this means we give up a little control on what we consume. Your 3kg extra will soon be history … and actually, that’s quite a modest gain in the scheme of things.

Will look forward to having your invaluable input on the monthly thread again, as you get back on track.

Hi all, great to have you back Wendy, so glad you enjoyed your family time.

Had my night out and an expected blip in weight but straight back onto the plan today. The meal was not heavily carby, I tell them I am allergic to fish and crustaceans so I don’t have to say I just don’t like it. Good job as the starter was a mackerel pate, so they served me half an avocado fanned out over lettuce. Not very exciting and a bit bland but I could feel righteous and enjoy the wine, main was a veal stew, very tender with mashed potatoes which I had a taste of but left most (ate the veal), had one piece of bread but did a glucose goddess hack and saved until I had eaten the greens first. A couple of glasses of wine and a vodka and tonic and that is me for another month.

Still got time to reach my goal by 7th and I am seeing the doctor on 10th for my routine check up. On that – Pootle, I am sure you will see a great improvement in your numbers. Get the doctor to tell you what your result is, so many just say something like oh you are okay now. You want the numbers.

Rain again today so no swimming, thinking about 30 mins aerobics – yes I will.

Greetings all! My goal is to start 4 weeks of 800 a day from Monday. I live in Dubai and my biggest weakness is how easy it is to get food delivered. Very tempting after a long work day! But for September I’ve got no visitors, and not much to do outside of work, and so I am concentrating on and prioritising myself. I’ve just bought 2 packets of the 800 shakes (one vanilla and one strawberry) to take with me, and will try them for lunches during the week.

Welcome StarGazer, great that you have recognised take aways/delivered foods are a problem for you, it gives you a good starting point. For September, why not plan some quick and simple meals you can make from scratch? If you just have some kind of grilled or pan fried protein and salad or veg, it should be possible to get a meal on the table in around 30mins, with minimal effort.

Really like your plan to prioritise yourself, sure you deserve it. Hope that you will keep us updated on your progress.

Hi all, thankfully I have already lost half the weight I gained. This plan never lets me down as long as I stick with it.

Hi stargazer, I guess you have to be strong when you have so much choice. Here in rural France you have no choice, no takeaways (unless you go and get it) no Uber or Deliveroo. Makes life so much simpler.

Due to more rain I did aerobics with my old friend Shaun T on HipHopAbs. It is only 30 mins and fast paced so seems like it is finished in the blink of an eye.

Nothing much to report so have a good week.

thank you for the welcome back (especially SunnyB) 🙂
Great to hear everyone’s news….
Still on track pretty much….I probably need to set some goals, as the holiday was a natural one…….mmmmm, maybe Hallowe’en is a good mid-term goal at 8 weeks away….I like to get dressed up spookily, in a fun way, even if just answering the door to little trick-or-treaters….our village is a nice safe place, which I am very grateful for…
so, I have 1 st 9.7 to reach top of normal BMI, my initial main goal…… that’s…..maths…….mmmm 23.7 lbs……I reckon maybe a goal of 16lbs lost by hallowe’en would mean 7.7 left for 3 weeks in December to get there by Christmas…..realistically, that sounds like quite a lot for me, and probably I would be content with a stone by Christmas, but I will see how it goes…..🤞🤞🤞
so far, TMAD going well and calories fairly low, minimal white carbs…..we will see, I have already lost 3.5 lbs, so that’s a good start.
Love to all,
Tulip xxx

Seems that you have found a goal Tulip, good that you have worked out a breakdown of the amount you wish to ditch.
You have two months to Halloween, so getting rid of 16lb in that time seems doable. Why not break that down and aim for half of that between now and the end of this month? Then when the new thread kicks off for October, you can take stock and set a goal for halloween … never know, you might be closer to you ultimate goal than you envisage 🙂.

Welcome StarGazer ! I am in France too and as SG has said no food or takeaway deliveries here. The shakes are a good alternative if you are at work although to be honest I never used them. I found it easy to skip lunch when I was busy at work.

I am finding it much harder now though as I reckon the carb monsters are running riot. I have been feeling a bit yuk and headachy. The first long fast was pretty easy but I suppose I have to get rid of all the toxins.

I won’t give in !
All the best to everyone xx

ah yes, true, so potentially 8lbs this month- 7 if aiming for a stone.

🙂

mmmm, also it is my son’t birthday end of next week.
…soooo, probably want to get a chunk off before having some cake……maybe 3-4 lbs??

Hi all, nothing to report except went shopping today wearing a pretty dress, not a special one but not jeans and a Tshirt. My daughter said I should enjoy the clothes I have rather than waiting for a special day.

Hope you are feeling better today, Wendy. Think when we have been off-piste, it can be a bit of a shock to our body when we get back on track, shouldn’t last too long though.

SG, glad you are still swapping up from jeans to pretty dresses. We really shouldn’t ‘save’ our prettiest things for ‘Best’, much better to enjoy and make the most of them. Must admit, I go through phases of wearing the same few outfits over and over, something I have to make a conscious effort to break.

My only report today is that my scales reading was stable again this morning … no loss, no gain, but at this point, I’m taking that as a definite win.

Gosh you are all doing so well & I am now also a fan S-G of wearing pretty dresses after buying some to take away with me & especially since buying very cool & comfortable divided petticoat culottes from M & S to wear underneath instead of a usual petticoat 😀 I will wear a dress to Mahjong at the bowls club this afternoon because I always wear trousers playing bowls.
I feel that I’m rather letting the side down despite a fasting day this week because I seem to be going up not down in weight 🙁 It’s rather weird but I haven’t been doing any extra exercise but my son came on Monday & stayed overnight so out came snacks & wine as we all watched films so very sedentary & not good for losing weight. I weigh tomorrow when all will be revealed.
It’s raining now & thunderstormy here & autumn is fast approaching with leaves already turning brown & falling. We have a pigeon sitting on a nest in our front garden which has never happened before & if she is sitting on eggs they will need to soon hatch 🤞🤞
Welcome back Wendy & I hope you are soon feeling better & welcome StarGazer & Tulip1👍
Margaret xx

I thought I might offer a few suggestions from my own experiences traveling, both in hotels and on cruises — there are good choices for travel that might serve better to keep the “vacation pounds” at bay. (there has been a lot of this kind of talk lately).
First, change your mindset. A buffet is not the placed to get your “money’s worth”. In fact, if you think about it, you WILL get your money’s worth by eating all you can and then you will get even more when you pay to lose that weight you gained.
Buffets are great for BSD eating. You know the way to go — start over in the PROTEIN side, fill up with some eggs (I love hard boiled eggs), a bit of bacon or sausage. Ignore the bread area, don’t even look at it, and slide on over to the salad bit and get some cucumbers, greens, tomato slices, seeds, nuts, whatever fits in your pleasure, then go on your way to the table, grabbing a slice of melon or a small bowl of berries. Fill up your mug with coffee or tea and go sit down. Now, eat all on your plate and drink your drink. Take your time. Chat with the table next to you.
Are you still hungry? Do you still need that chocolate croissant? If the answer is “yes” go get it, cut it in thirds and throw away two thirds. Eat your one-third mindfully. Probably wasn’t that good anyway!
Lunch, start with salad. A full plate, dressed lightly. Take it to the table. Eat it all. THEN go back for protein and veg. Take that to the table. Eat it all. I bet you won’t want dessert.
Dinner, start with salad or a protein — maybe shrimp or a meat terrine or something to calm your appetite. Next, meat and veg. Thank you “NO” to the bread basket. Have a glass of wine. Take your time.
And finally, that evil called “high tea”. Just SKIP it!! You can go for a walk, go watch a movie, go to the gym, but do not go to the high tea except ONE day just for the experience. You really will not miss it. Really.
Then fit in some exercise, walking or a gym or a class (Cunard had line dancing that was really fun) and then, when you get home, you will not have to “go back” on the diet. You were ON the diet the whole time and your body and brain are happy with that.
Lovely vacation. Best ever!

Hi all, a bit late today but wanted to wait until my blood results were in. Nurse came this morning and my results are in my sticky little hand. HbA1c DOWN, Cholesterol DOWN, triglycerides DOWN. These are the final results. Now my goal is to have an even lower HbA1c but with even less insulin. Here’s to the next 3 months.

My weight is within 0.25 kg of my goal which is tomorrow (or Tuesday if I want to wait to my weigh in). Still full of optimism.

To add to Californiagirl’s recommendations, especially on a cruise. We eat from the dinner menu and do not use the buffet in the evenings. My way of dealing with it is keep to a low carb starter like pate on a salad, often comes with a toast which gets left on the plate, after checking out the mains I usually ask for a side salad and leave any carbs, I only have the dessert on special occasions and never eat the bread. Hubby is having a birthday treat (80)and has ordered a cake which I hope we can share it with others on the table but I am sure I will have a sliver just to taste and not be a killjoy as the actual date is our wedding anniversary (April 16), his birthday will have been in March but he still wants something special on the cruise. If I order a dessert I am a bit like Californiagirl in that I only eat about one third as I don’t really have a sweet tooth but it is nice to give something a try – a taste is enough for me.

Nancy Regan said nothing tastes as good as being slim (she was a bit extreme) but for me nothing tastes better than having low blood glucose. Boring, maybe but healthier, yes.

Have a good weekend. I heard it is going to be hot in the UK while here in France we are down to the low 20’s and more rain.

Just to update & I have gained 3/4lb in weight due to eating more calories & carbs last Monday when our son came to stay for the night. When the carby snacks & wine came out my resolve crumbled plus eating a large hamburger in a bun 🙀. It was lovely seeing him catching up & having a watching film evening😀
It just goes to show that going off piste even for one day has an immediate impact on my weight even though I did complete one fast day. I must do much better than this!
Margaret

SG, great results and fingers crossed you hit your goal … if anyone can you can.
Margaret, lesson learnt … no carby snacks next movie night. However, don’t waste time and energy beating yourself up about this week’s slip, you’ve learnt from it so dust yourself off and move on. I sure that 3/4lb will soon be history now you are back on track.

Hi all, well today is the day of my first goal which was 3.33lbs in one month. If it is a strange number it is because I put in kilos an amount I wanted to lose by 7 February and divided it by 6 (sept to Feb) then changed it to pounds. I want to be 65 kilos from 74.2.

So today I have reached my first goal of 3.33 and even a little more (3.4lbs). Next goal 3.33lbs by 7th October. Keep on keeping on.

Margaret, your small treats with your son on film night is exactly why I have kept my goal small, I want to have a life too. However, 3/4 of a pound on is just a good pee or pooh and will be gone by tomorrow 🙂 so don’t fret about it.

We have a very wet weekend and I am enjoying watching the heavy rain. I love this type of weather, in moderation. Enjoy whatever you are doing and stay mindful.

Hi all. Just jumping on here to say thank you to SunnyB for reporting the spam post on Michael’s memorial thread. I was about to do likewise and you phrased it really well. Some people have no shame 😡

Some inspiring posts on here! Well done to all who are seeing results, and best wishes for the rest of September X

Agree totally about the rubbish written on Michaels tribute page, thank you SunnyB. Just written a new intro to the Michael Mosley tribute page to remove any trace of the earlier spam so the opening page is more becoming and respectful.

Thank you SunnyB & S-G yes it’s wise to avoid snacks & they usually stay hidden away for our son to extract when he visits us but he regards Bolli as a family treat however does say he eats more healthy food otherwise when he visits😀
My husband & I have been watching our recorded MMs latest series & it’s very poignant seeing him & hearing Claire’s introduction. He was so good at explaining physiology in a simple way comparing our inner working with everyday things. I don’t think there is anyone else who will attempt to make similar programmes 🤔
Today I’m battling with myself as to whether I will have another attempt at driving my husbands car since I no longer have one of my own. My hesitation so far was my cataract needing to be done to improve my sight that was done last year & now how much pressure to put on my right knee although the car is an automatic. I know that I’m prevaricating but still feel nervous going back to driving although with my sensible head on I would need to drive in an emergency if my husband was unable to!
Oh well keep on going everyone you are all doing so well 👏👏
Margaret xx

I have gone for another test drive this afternoon, between showers, and feel pleased with myself. I was a little nervous but did it & was much less heavy footed this time on the accelerator & brakes😀
Margaret

It was nice of your to clean up the Dr. Mosely memorial page — the funny thing on it is that the people who posted are the same posters perennially here on the forums! He helped so many people — most of whom never posted here at all.
Wendy1947 (Margaret) nice job! Driving practice! The freedom of a car is one of my most valued things — funnily enough, it is one of the reasons I have not purchased an electric car. The idea of worrying about the “range” and where to plug in and how long I have to wait for the refill has really made me not want to try that out. I keep telling my husband, that with an internal combustion engine (an ICE) I can fill up in five minutes almost anywhere and I can drive all the way to Alaska from my home or all the way to Patagonia at the tip of South America! I cannot do that with an electric battery car. Ha Ha talk about “range anxiety”!!!
I think automobile-freedom runs in my family — my grandfather’s brother (my great-uncle) was the first person to drive all the way across the United States with his wife in the early 1900’s. My dad learned to drive at the age of 10 in the orange groves of Los Angeles (just a few of those left now, on the far eastern edge of LA county) and he did not give up his driver’s license literally until he died at age 96. He drove every day to his office 65 miles from his home.
Every kid in my family got their drivers license on the day of their 16th birthday — I guess we are a car focused family. But living in California sort of makes that a necessity — we are 14 hours driving north to south and about six hours east to west. Big state. Driving six hours one way for a weekend jaunt is normal.

hiya, struggling a bit on TMAD, and generally getting back into BSD, so weight pretty static….
grwat keeping up.with everyone’s news tho xx

You’re not alone, Tulip, just jeep plugging away, it will come right. Rather disappointingly I too seem to have stalled, despite a couple of fasting days I find myself at exactly the same spot on the scales as this time last week.

However, I’m being strict with myself until we go away Thursday, when I’ll start to have less control on catering and thus consumption. Will try hard not to mindlessly chomp through carbs though.

Hello Tulip1 & I’m joining in with struggling at the moment because I’m feeling hungry & very tired & just want to eat more of everything. I’m also finding it very tedious continuing to prepare meals from scratch🙁 I know the cooler weather & grey days are not helping & I am wondering if I am going to be badly affected by SAD this year after not really suffering from it last year. I already feel lethargic with low energy & very can’t be botheredish 🤔.
Keep on going SunnyB because you are doing so well & only a few more days to go 👍😀
Margaret xx

Margaret, I’ve been using my SAD lamp for over a week now, because the mornings have been so grey and autumnal. Have also started taking Vit D again too, in the hope of staying off a major mood slump later.

If you’re hungry all the time, could be worth checking you’re getting enough good fats and protein, as these help to keep you feeling sated.

Thanks for the encouragement, Margaret…. it’s much appreciated. You keep going too.

Hi all, Tulip, SunnyB and Margaret, seems like we are all in the same situation. I too am stalling, even gained a smidge and no progress for a week. I cannot think what it could be except I do seem to be hungry but also restless and picky. When I pick I try to stick to olives and some fruit I bought in an expensive tub (time of the year) but I have a craving for something and I don’t know what. Calories are a bit over 800 but, like yesterday it was mainly all the seeds I had with my stewed figs and yoghurt – must stop with the coconut slivers as they are very high.

Just back from the doctors. I was going to have a word about him always weighing me and how bad it makes me feel – especially if I have gained. But my husband told me he also weighs him every time. So we should just be grateful we have a doctor who spends the time to weigh us, do our blood pressure, pulse, listen to my chest and heart. All is fine and he was so happy with my results. We went through all my medications and he is happy with what I am on – it is a virtual pharmacy now I have asthma and glaucoma but, again, I should be grateful.

Californiagirl, how are you getting on with the French Wine Culture course. I have found some of the slang a bit difficult but it is really what I need as the French don’t speak the same as we were taught in school. It is good to keep up to date with the colloquial phrases.

Hi there,

Had my little treat last night after reaching my 1 months goal, getting great blood results and having a good appt with Dr Gorgeous. So I allowed myself a couple of vodka and tonics. Gained a tiny amount but know it will be fluid retention and will soon go.

I started today with a homemade smoothie of figs, spinach, seeds and almond milk and then a lunch of tuna salad so I am being really strict now on calories while still having delicious food – although my poorly cat got a share of the tuna.

Plenty of rain right now but we are forecast for some more good weather in the next couple of weeks. Dare I say I might get to have another swim or two although the water will be freeeeeeeezing.

Keep on keeping on…

Thank you SunnyB & a timely reminder to start again taking Vitamin D which my husband & I did today having some left over in date capsules from last winter. I also have my SAD lamp now on whilst sewing & reading & am also awaiting the arrival of St John’s Wort that I will start using to see if it helps. My weighing on Saturday will show if I have done better weight wise this week but it still feels more difficult than before.
Brilliant news about your Doctors results sunshine-girl 👍👏👏
Margaret xx

I am also having difficulty with the French program Sunshinegirl, it is a bit too many new words/phrases every day to assimilate, although I am working on it and repeating phrases to myself as the day goes on. She is fun to listen to though, and I am trying to just let the cadence of the speech come into my mind — French is so beautiful!
Lucia, I am wondering how you are doing? Let us know!
SunnyB have a lovely time in Turkey!
Margaret, sorry you are already feeling the effects of oncoming season — exercise is really good for SADS so that is a good thing to try.
We are back to Bristol for the time being — it has become my home away from home.

My goal for the month is simply to start this WOE and drag my daughter along.

Hi SunshineOrange, welcome to the monthly thread, keep us posted on progress, feel free to come and vent if you need to and celebrate positive results too. Shout if you need advice or support and someone will respond.

Hope things go well for both you and your daughter and I look forward to reading about your journey.

Yay!! Celebration time coming up….3 month blood test results have shown that my HbA1c number has dropped from 49 to 45!! My weight has dropped from 15st 7lb to 11st 13lb…. in 3 months. Now for the next stone, watch this space! Thanks for all the advice and support. I haven’t posted often, but when I have been tempted to give up, reading all your posts has kept me going!

Hi there all you lovely people. Welcome to SunshineOrange although I think you have been lurking and posted before. Just get on the plan and make a start, it can’t hurt and you and your daughter can help each other with motivation. My daughter and I exchange our weights most days and cheer each other on or give hugs when needed. She is far away so it also tells me how she is feeling by the tone of her message so it is not all about diets and weight.

Pootle, already mentioned on the Advice thread but once again congratulations. I am amazed at the amount of weight lost. Did your doctor/nurse have anything to say, anything to ask – they need to know it can be done and not always by their way or drugs.

Californiagirl, I am pleased that I can listen to her videos and understand 70% but found the one with the bloke wanting to celebrate very much slang. But as I say that is what I need. It is not slang like kids use it is just like we might have different ways of saying sit down i.e. asseyez-vous or prendre place (take a seat), installez-vous (settle yourself in a waiting area usually) or gare ton fesse (park your arse). I might not ever get round to using them but I have to recognise what is being said to me. When I was in hospital they were trying to move me from the stretcher onto the operating table and one guy said leve ton fesse (lift your arse) much to my amusement. The French do not speak what we are taught in school. Even down to using ‘on’ for us or we instead of nous and dropping the ‘ne’ in the negative. It takes some getting used to actually using it. Although if I say – je ne danse pas – they will understand I don’t danse but they will think I am a tourist 🙂

Nearly the end of the week and still feeling upbeat. Keep on keeping on…