Hello to all our ‘weekly threaders’ … Wendy is settling in to a charming gite, for a much deserved break, so has nominated me to kick off the new weekly thread. Hope that you will all continue to travel with us and share your ups and downs in the days to come.

As usual, we are very pleased to welcome back anyone who is returning to this way of eating, as well as anyone just starting out. If you have been reading but not posting, feel free to jump right on and introduce yourself …. you’ll find us an inclusive group of supportive people.

On a personal front, I can report a small step in the right direction and begin this week in a better place than this time last week. Hopefully that will be the case for you too, but if not, don’t get discouraged … it will happen soon just stick with it.

Best wishes to you all for a great BSD week.

Here is the updated list of contributors, including our two new participants from last week. Hopefully no one has been missed off, but if you find you have been, just shout out and we’ll make sure to add you in on the next list.
Wendleg /Wendy
SunnyB
Sunshine girl/Denise
Florab85 /Lauren
Onestep
Elle-mae
Orange Panda Momma/Amz
RubyG and hubby
Windyjulz
Antigone
Tulip/Clare
Arcticfox
JGwen
California girl/Julia
Caronl
Merry melba
AlysJ
Stresseatingpro

Thank you SunnyB!
Just had a lunch of left over chicken – chicken thigh with a dab of philly cheese and wrapped in prosciutto and baked. Just as nice cold for lunch.
Bit of gardening – squirting the aphids with soap spray on the rose – perhaps it’s an Albertine as it has many many small fragrant pink blooms – and is very old, well over 40 years old.
Glad you are pleased with your steps in the right direction SB – keep on going 😀

RubyG and hubby still here, lurking more than participating at the moment, but hanging in there.
A loss for us both over the past week – we have had a decent week of more mindful eating, less snacking and an eye on portion sizes.
I’m in the office today, saw a colleague for the first time in 18 months and was called “skinny” – if felt good!
ODAAT and here’s to a good week!

Hi Sunny, Thanks for starting up this week’s thread. Congrats on your progress. And best wishes to Wendy and sunshine-girl in sunny ? France.

I was quiet on the thread last week, because I was afraid I was making yet another false start! But happy to report that the first week of rebooting was pretty much on track. I’m not weighing or counting fiendishly yet. In the first week I just wanted to avoid the maincarbs – pasta, rice, spuds, bread and sugar, and reverse the wine creep with lots of water. And move more. I am down 2 kg, and ready for the next week.

My mouth feels like the bottom of a parrot’s cage, and my energy levels are a bit low – it seems to be taking time to switch to burning fat rather than carbs. But otherwise onwards and downwards. Wishing everyone a good week. x

Hi all
I had a great weekend visiting with my daughter and son in law. Their new house is lovely and they are in a very nice little town. Eating wise I tried to be as good as I could carb wise but not doing calories. Back home now but after, taxi, coach, plane and car journey we just went and ate out last night and I just had what I fancied. Stood on the scales to find a 3lb gain so now back to the 800 woe and see how quickly it shifts off. I had planned this week’s meals before we left so just to make a shopping list from it and shop.
Forwards and downwards 😁
Elle

Hi everyone, thank you Sunny for setting up the thread. Have a great time on your break to the Gers Wendy. Relax and enjoy.

Hi to Merrymelba.
RubyG, so nice when someone notices. I have been this size (25lb lighter) for so long that no-one notices and I really should have another big push to lose another half a stone.
Caronl seems your reboot is working, 2kgs is great. In my experience that 3lbs gain should be gone in less than a week. It took me 5 days to lose the 3.5lbs I gained when family were here.

I am no further forward to my house sale as it has not even gone live on the site yet. No hurry as we dont expect to sell for months, that is the way it is in France. We didnt have any internet all day yesterday so neither did our agent who lives in the same village. So she couldnt get on with any work. Should be done by the end of today.

In the meantime I am keeping myself busy with a new painting (by numbers). I sent a photo of my 2 grandsons to a site and they send back the picture all numbered up with all the appropriate colours. Thing is, it is massive 20″ x 16″ and mainly comprising a white shirt and a blue shirt. At least the blue one is in different shades due to shadow and creases etc. Should get it finished before we go back in 3 weeks and one day. Not counting 🙂

Also I have started learning Polish. I used to speak a little when I working in a hospital in Australia with a lot of Polish people around. You got some elderly person who spoke no English, absolutely terrified and not understanding what was going on so I learnt a few words of comfort or explaining things and just politeness i.e. please and thank you Oh and of course, beer.

Swam during a massive thunder storm yesterday, managed 30 mins but had to get out as the rumbles started to get closer and closer.

Well that is my rubbish for today. Take care everyone and keep on keeping on.

Hi All, thank you sooo much for the new thread- it keeps me going!
Soooo, I’ve not lost any of my extra half stone yet, no surprises there, BUT yesterday and today have been better (barring the birthday cake yesterday afternoon)- I’m feeling more motivated and managed to ignore the naughty staff kitchen foods yesterday and today and today is on track to be a good low carb and lowish cals day but I have to admit I am finding it hard to stay on track!! I also just went for a run for the first time in 5 weeks….a slow 1.5k….I didn’t run in the summer hols because out of routine/ busy/ walking instead on hols and I don’t run when it’s hot- also I’m not a morning exerciser so to avoid heat I generally run Autumn to Spring and avoid a lot of Summer- only disadvantage is having to restart again and feeling relatively unfit compared with when I am regularly running (and further)….still it’s a start, and I did enjoy it.

Love to all,
Tulip1 xxxxx

Good to see that some of our usual contributors are in for another week. Don’t worry if last week didn’t quite pan out as you’d hoped or planned, make this a fresh start and try to avoid any pitfalls identified over the past few days.
Huge well done to anyone chalking up a positive result from last week, no matter how great or small … it all helps toward your eventual goal.
Hopefully a few others will be joining us as the week progresses, so we can share in their stories too. If you’re lurking and hesitant, just jump right in …. more the merrier 🙂

Hi Sunny and all

I’m in for another week, on plan so far – I actually really enjoyed my cauliflower cous cous yesterday, I was a bit dubious as it was mostly leftovers but it was really tasty.

Work is still super busy today but I had a lovely session with some of my third years today who applauded me when I told them about my promotion, and that was just kind of heartwarming and nice.

Anyhow I’m rambling so I shall leave it there for now

Hope all are ok

L x

Lauren, you deserve to bask on the warmth of the congratulations on your promotion. Glad your week is off to a good start.

I’m in for week 2.
Going well so far. About 2.5 – 3kg gone.
Happy with that.

CurryTruck, good to see you decided to join us here on the weekly thread, welcome. You’ve made a great start, keep us posted on progress and shout out if you have questions or need support … or if you have something to celebrate of course 🙂. Feel free to use the thread to vent if things aren’t going so well or crow if you’re losing big! (Or small.)

Hi everyone,
Checking in again, times flying doesn’t seem two minutes from last weeks check in!
Glad to hear everyone’s doing well, some great wins going on.

All fine here plodding on as usual, feeling great now increased my daily allowance only by 100-200 calories (good foods) some days others stay at 800, so I’ll have to get into a routine there but I’m finding I’ve loads more energy and fitter too but will see what the scales bring to see if I need to add a few more 800 days.

Anyway have a great week all xx

Hi everyone.
Great positives for you Onestep with more energy and get-up-and-go.🚶‍♂️🚶‍♂️
And hi CurryTruck – you are off to a great start. You’ll notice good changes that are not necessarily a drop in weight. Thinner face, trousers that aren’t so tight, etc. These are great motivators that may not be reflected on the scales.
Dzień dobry Sunshine-girl – it’s so good for our brains to try something new!
Great going with the running Tulip 🏃‍♀️ Keep going.
My goal this week is to drink more water. I drink some tea and coffee during the day, but now it is warmer I must drink more water – something that I forget!

thank you everyone for the encouragement…you’re all doing great too…today trying to keep motivated- yesterday was low carb but I need to drop my calories more as well…..we can do this, right?!
xxx T

Hi MerryMelba,
You are so right!
My face is already looking thinner and my trousers feel looser. As you say, this isn’t necessarily reflected by the scales.
10 days into the 8 week diet and I feel ‘smaller’. That’s motivation in itself.

A good food choices day yesterday, took my soup and some milk kefir to the office, but didn’t drink much water which wasn’t so good.
I managed to hold my nerve when I heard someone eating crisps from the other side of the office – it is nearly a year since I had a crisp, and I could so easily have succumbed yesterday, but I didn’t!
We are away for a long weekend and Saturday night supper is out of our control in what is on offer, so we will make the best choices possible without offending our hosts. In preparation, I am going to load up on the prebiotics and probiotics for the next couple of days to keep my good gut bugs happy and able to defend themselves against any carb-loving bugs which may infiltrate. So, tinned mackerel and kraut for lunch today.
ODAAT!

Hi everyone, glad you all seem to be doing so well. For those of you struggling please just keep the faith and stay with us. We are here to cheer you on in good times and not so good.

I held off posting today as I had my blood tests done this morning. Yeah – BG down to 5.7, cholesterol the same as last time, triglycerides up just a smidge but there was some alcohol and rich food while the family were here. Really pleased as my insulin was now down to 14 units daily when it used to be 40 units a day. Cant wait to see my doctor on Friday.

Hoping to get a swim later but there are storms around so might have to miss out today. You all keep on keeping on… and I’ll keep dancing around the living room.

Merry – dziekuje ci. Struggling but writing everying down and going over Mondays lesson again today to drill it into my brain. The words are so difficult. Brain training rocks – right.

Good to see everyone is upbeat and confident in their food decisions. I made a batch of almond crackers today and confess I probably ate too many 🤭. Not too worried as I make them very high in fibre, with plenty of flax, chia and psyllium.
SG, your blood results are great and I know you will enjoy presenting them to Dr. G.
Ruby, well done on not giving in to crisps. Good luck for the coming days, when your food choices won’t be fully in your control …. I know you’ll do your best with what’s available.
Merry, good to see you posting … hope upping your water intake goes well.
Onestep, sounds like you have found your groove. If you keep an eye on the carbs, you can get away with a few extra calories.
Keep up the good work everyone.

Hi all! Wishing everyone the best keeping up with the 800 cals.

I’m only on day 4. Day 1-3 was all right, but today I definitely started to feel some cravings – fighting through that… in 3 hours it’s bedtime so have until then to keep up 😊 I haven’t weight myself but took waist and hip measures because I’m scared to step on the scale.

Caronl- I love that saying onwards and downwards!

Sunshine girl- congrats on the reduction on insulin!

Stresseatingpro try drinking water to fill yourself up, although you will be up in the night for the loo 🤣.
Lost 2lb of the weight I had put on over the weekend. I had a phone call follow up from the hospital consultant today. He told me that in the 3 weeks from being diagnosed to when I was in hospital with the stroke my blood sugar and cholesterol had come down. I have a cholesterol blood test at the GP’s on Tuesday so hopefully even lower. I will ask if the numbers are lower maybe I could come off the drugs. We will see.
Keep up the good eating, together we can do it.
Elle

Hi all, hope you are all doing okay.

One thing I havent mentioned and I am sure you good people can help me here, but I have been losing my hair. This happened before a few years ago, happened for about a year but it was more thinning around the hairline. It stopped by itself. This time it is coming out in not quite clumps but enough to have to clean my brush everytime I use it after hairwashing. I have gathered quite a bit in the last 3 weeks and photo to show my doctor. I am now frightened to wash my hair. My hair is long and was very thick to the point where I used to moan about it, not moaned since the last hairloss as I now appreciate it but it is going again. Because it is long I wear a scrunchy in bed but it is a soft one, not a tight band. Seeing hairdresser on Tuesday so will have a word with her too but she wasnt much help last time. I know keto can cause hairloss but I am not really fully keto and have been doing this diet for 5+ years.

Elle-mae, dont rush to come off the meds. They will do you no harm and maybe lots of good. I am sure your doctor will steer you in the right direction. Even if your cholesterol is low the doctor will probably put that down to the statins but dont worry – I still take a mini daily dose just to be on the safe side. The side effects of statins are minimal and manageable. My only problem was muscle cramps which I cure by putting a slither of a bar of soap in my bed at night. Anyone using this trick and finds it stops working after a while, you need to reactivate the soap by scratching the surface – I use a fork – to get it working again. Yes I know you all think I am mad, but it works.

Stresseatingpro – cant wait for your weigh in results. Good going.

House has gone on the internet but I am not happy with the listing. They dont show bathrooms (in France) and it says – bathroom with shower, bath, WC and sink. Wow – that should sell it. I have re-worded it for her. Large bathroom with walk in shower stall, large bath, double vanity sink units and heated towel rail. She is going to change it. Also the photos are rubbish. She makes all the rooms look small. If you are interested in seeing where I live the link is https://www.frenchestateagents.com/french-property-for-sale/view/A08409/house-for-sale-in-le-fleix-dordogne-aquitaine-france. I might get into trouble for that but I am not advertising as I am nowhere near any of you, just waving hi to some friends.

Take care. Will report back on doctors visit tomorrow.

The house looks lovely, SunshineGirl. Now that it’s out there, I’m sure you’ll get buyers soon.
As for the hair loss, I have it on and off too and there can be many reasons, including stress and hormonal changes. My guess is for you it may be stress related at the moment. Good news is, it will likely regrow … I’ve been using Planter-19 tonic, which seems to be helping …. could be worth a try?

Elle, you are doing so well after all you have been through recently!

I slipped up with a colleague’s homemade brownies today….but otherwise have been fairly low carb if not very low cal….

otherwise, I’m tired, and a bit fed up now the new school term has settled in….so much toing and froing every sodding day, and tbh the hubby is getting on my nerves…..oh well, hopefully this is an off day and not the start of another depressive episode…..

Love to all, Tulip xxx

Thank you Tulip and SG. SG your house looks lovely. I also found my OH irritating last week, I wonder if it’s being so tightly controlling with the food making me want to be more controlling generally. I am trying hard not to get wound up and annoyed but to let things just be, because it’s better for my blood pressure.

Aw Tulip, chin up, you can have an off day, times are tough. Focus on something positive. you got this. xx

SunshineGirl what a lovely home….. love the pool which looks perfect in the sunshine! I too have had some bouts of hair loss, and interestingly some psoriasis on my head. It seems to be worse the lower carb i am. Never suffered from either until late last year. I agree though it could be stress related, and the psoriasis i think relates to having a sweat head for long periods (long runs and riding hats!)

Good work Elle-Mae…. I think OHs can just be irritating….irrespective of food! haha.

Stresseatingpro, i hope you made it through day 4 alright….. it is the hardest day and the other side is glorious!!

I deliberately didnt post on Tuesday – fed up of saying “yes, im in” and then drifting off course by thursday! Anyway, this week i went ultra low carb, almost Fat Fasting, really to try and get over the hump, day 3 and 4 is always a hump for me when ive been wayward. Anyhoo, here I am, Friday and i’ve been really quite successful! Eaten mostly salmon, avocado, eggs, bacon, cheese and a little yogurt. I feel SO much better for it. And interestingly i ran 10k first thing yesterday morning totally fasted and felt great, best ive felt in ages! So beginning to start to believe i can still run well low carb and all the ‘carb loading’ for distances is NOT needed!! Now just to keep it up through the weekend, and maybe treat myself to some salad and vegetables. haha

Hi Sunshine Girl.
Thanks for the link to your home – I just want to dive in to your pool! Gorgeous!
Your hair loss may be related to the stress around the sale and move etc. But I found after a while on this WOE that I was getting hair loss – and I upped my protein and that seemed to help. Not sure of your age 🙂
I know there are discussions on here about protein levels – but many of those studies don’t include older people I’m now 65 – and I do eat higher than the “.8g” of protein. The study in this link talks about older people. https://thebloodsugardiet.com/forums/topic/one-week-at-a-time-beginning-23rd-february-2021-on-we-go-in-2021/page/2/#post-133612
cheers
Merry

Happy Friday everyone. Just back from the doctors (still gorgeious). He was so happy with my results and weight down another kilo on last visit. Said I have lost 5kg since lockdown – that just shows me how much I had regained – must have been kidding myself but I think I did say 5kgs – so all gone now and at the weight I was at the end of around week 28 on this woe back in 2016. That was before a cruise when I regained around 2.5kg then Christmas…. you know how it goes.

Merry I hear what you are saying about stress around the house sale but it has only been on the market for 2 days. OK all the planning started around 3 weeks ago but I have had the hair problem for around 5 or 6 months. My hairdresser noticed when I saw her in June after not seeing me for many months – she saw a big difference.

I asked the doctor what he could recommend and he cracked me up. He said ‘do I look like I would know about hairloss’ (remember he is completely bald). I asked if he lost his hair or shaved it off. He said it all fell out when he was around 17 and showed me a photo of him and his son who is now 23 and also nearly bald. I told him it was a very sexy look on some men but not so much on women. He thinks I am an hilarious nutcase. Correct. Anyway he suggested I use baby shampoo and conditioner and when I see the hairdresser tell her to cut a couple of inches off as the end can be dry and brittle. Also not to get it coloured this time. Moi colour, no it is all natural – that made him laugh.

He has put me on some new diuretic medication due to my usual one going out of business. I have to have blood tests to check my kidneys are not being damaged. Just shows why we want to get off of meds – they can kill you. Sorry to rabbit on but on the subject of medication I told him I was only using 14 units of insulin and he said, if it is the same on my next check up it is something we should talk about. Maybe he can give me a tablet instead but one that doesnt give me the runs.

Sorry to have nattered on. So much going around in my head. We have a viewing at 5pm and agent told me not to clean. Like I wouldnt. All ready and going to relax by doing some Polish and some French, although I have worn my French out today with the doctor and the pharmacy.

Have a good weekend everyone. I might just have a treat.

SunnyB- thanks for setting up the new thread.

Sunshine-girl- I’m also losing my hair, which is unfortunate because while it is longish, it is rather thin. I think mine is due to the extraordinary amount of stress I was dealing with, so hopefully it will sort itself out.
I would like to know more about the soap and muscle cramps fix you mention.
—–
I’ve been actively trying to lose weight for 22 days now and I’m down 12.4 lbs. I’ve been trying my best to exercise 4-5 days a week and that’s going okay.

I laughed at the comments about husbands being annoying, but sometimes I also feel that way. Some of you might remember my many complaints about my mate’s feelings on my weight. Well, this time around I’m doing my best not to let it get to me and keep my weight loss as my own desire, not something I’m doing for him… But it’s still hard sometimes. There are times when everything is fine, but then other times he says hurtful things, like comparing something he changed to my weight loss- “I already stopped drinking, why are you still fat” type of thing. I’ve talked myself silly trying to explain that abstaining from alcohol cannot be compared to weight loss, because losing weight takes time. If I could instant become slim, I definitely would! But he doesn’t see his argument as irrational… So I’ve just been trying to tune out his negative talk as best I can. He did surprise me yesterday, however, when he said I would need to have surgery. He was talking about the loose skin. I’m 36 and exercising, so I’m hoping it will not be too severe… I am hoping to lose about 100 lbs (243 to 150), and I’ve been overweight most of my adult life…
Does anyone have opinions on this matter? Is it possible to get a flat stomach after being obese?

Partners eh?! Mine didn’t get any of the tact or sense genes when they were handing them out either 🙄😆🤣
SG, Dr Gorgeous sounds a hoot as well as gorgeous 😁
Well, I have not lost any weight to speak of yet…I am still really struggling to remain on plan- I have not managed a single day near to 800 to without some kind of carbs….I guess I need to try harder with meal prep as well as saying no to home made goodies…
However, it’s my son’s bday party today and I have made (another!) cake and again, there’s no way I won’t be eating some…so….restart properly Monday bding mindful of what I eat other than cake….
One positive is picking back up on various forms of exercise this week, so at least that side of things is going right!
Love to all, T xxx

Silver01, your post looks like a promotional for the app you’ve posted the link to, so will report it to the administrators.
If you have a genuine interest in the BSD way of eating and being part of our merry band, my apologies.

Hello everyone, I’m pretty new to BSD and the forum. I read the book a few years ago and I’ve been meaning to get around to it ever since. I’m now on day 17 and I’ve (somehow!) managed to stick to pretty close to 800 each day. I’m aiming to get my bmi down to about 23 from 28, which means losing 22kg from my heaviest. I have 14.5 kg to go. I lost 3kg before the summer doing TRE but not otherwise counting anything, and then another 4.5kg since I started the BSD. I am finding it tough, but getting results is really helping. I’ve lost 4 inches off my waist and feel like my body is gradually starting to re-emerge from under all the flab! It’s inspiring to read about all the positives you have all found from following the diet. I had begun to believe that nothing I could do would ever make any difference and I was stuck getting heavier and unhealthier each year. This is making a difference, and furthermore it isn’t going to take years. According to my fitbit, my resting heart rate has dropped from mid 70s to low 60s within a week of starting. I just need to keep with it!

Hello everyone, hope you are enjoying your weekend.

OPM/AMZ – you havent heard about the soap trick…. If you suffer from leg cramps at night here is a tip. Take a small bar of soap – like the ones you get in hotels – and simply put it in the bed at night and it stops cramps. The science says there is no reason for this but suggests that a built up of ions in the enclosed space causes the cramps and the soap breaks down the ions. Whatever the reason, it does work and was recommended to me by my lovely doctor and my chiropodist. I think I suffer because of the statins I take although I have reduced the dose from 60mg to 10mg since being on this diet.

Can I also say I was very upset about the way your husband talks to you. I am sure you know him much better than I do so ask yourself (and tell us if you want to) is he just insensitive, unfeeling or downright cruel because those comments sounds like the latter to me. Sometimes men want to be involved (not controlling) but dont know what to contribute so say stupid things. You are 36 and from your overweight comments already are your own biggest critic, but I am not so sure. Yes you are heavy, yes you are trying to do something about it and its bloody hard – we all know that – but is your critical voice coming from you or from what has been drilled into you over the years. Tell me to mind my own business but I wouldnt put up with this behaviour. What does he look like, is he a god with a six pack. Maybe you should make a few comments of your own to him. You are 36 and have many years ahead of you, how many of them are you going to let this go on. Sorry, you might be perfectly happy but I dont think so. I also noticed at the end of your comments you asked for opinions but deflected it back onto yourself, about your stomach. Sod that, it doesnt matter what your stomach is like, that isnt your biggest problem. I will shut up now but if I had done what I should have at 36 when I noticed the controlling aspects of my husbands nature I would have probably have dumped him and had 33 years of happiness and self worth (I am 69). My daughter told me on her recent visit that she was appalled at how mine talks to me, little digs here and there, even downright insults. And to be honest I dont even notice but I have lost a lot of myself over the years. My confidence – he wont even let me drive the car or go to the doctors on my own. But as I said, I am 69 and it is too late now. Dont get me wrong, I give it back to him or tell him what I think of his behaviour. I just have to accept now that he is a stupid old man and wont change.

Sorry about that but we do put up with so much and spend out lives trying to please others. My move back to England might be a lot more than that. Not leaving him but getting out with my daughter, joining a gym, going to the cinema etc. Things I cant do here on my own – mainly the language, mainly because no-one speaks to you.

I’ll go now. Hope I havent upset you OPM.

Welcome Igglyboo, it sounds like you are very much in the zone and doing well. Great you have already identified that the positive benefits of this way of eating, are much wider than just weight loss.

Hope you will keep us posted on your progress, but meanwhile, if you have any questions just shout out and someone will respond. Don’t panic if things stall remember weight loss isn’t linear and there will be times when the scales don’t reflect effort, but keep looking for those additional positives … inches lost, sleeping better, clearer skin etc, they all count too.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Such a thoughtful and poignant post Sunshine-girl. You do have such inner strength and your advice and support for everyone here is so valued. I hope you do believe in your strength and abilities, and that the move back to the UK will give you a new sense of freedom and choice.
🙏🙏

Happy Sunday. Hope you are all well. AMZ, I hope I didnt overstep the mark. Just remember what ever is going on in our lives this is our safe space. Stick with us and you will get all the support and encouragement you need. That goes for everyone else of course.

Nothing to report except we have had so very heavy rain here and we left the pool cover off overnight. Hence, 20 degrees. Think that is the last of the pool for this year. Will have to start thinking about going to the local one although it is not so local – about 30 mins away. At least it is heated.

Been a bit relaxed on the diet this weekend – only every 12 weeks. Diet for 12, see the doctor, get good results then have a little break. No harm done, just gained 0.1 of a kilo so nothing really.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend girls. I say girls because Jeremy seems to have disappeared – where are you? 🙂

Well ! So much to comment on and I will do that in a bit .

I’m back from our 5 nights break in the Gers region of France , about an hour and a half’s drive from here . We had a little gîte on a farm and we were visited daily by lots of little kittens so I had to feed them up a bit !! It was very quiet and I reckon anyone looking for a tranquil second home in France would easily find a beautiful little stone house in the Gers and never have to worry about the neighbours !!!
We visited lots of little villages and markets , walked a bit and only had one grey day and storms at night so that was nice . We were recommended a restaurant in a town called Lectoure and the meal was spectacular .Lots of the ingredients are foraged locally and I indulged in some wonderfully prepared and lovingly presented food .It included figs poached in red wine with a hazelnut cake and chocolate ganache… so there !!!

I actually began my week 3 kilos down following my September reboot ( which I began a week earlier to be honest) and I expect I will not have maintained that but will be back to normal this week …..
I am still staying away from nuts but dairy did feature in my week !

No demands were made on me until Friday came around and I had to deal with some upsetting news for a friend involving social services . Sometimes it’s hard to understand certain behaviours and decisions but often there are no options but to make the most of it . Tomorrow will be a tough day for my friend and his son though .

Thanks SunnyB and sunshinegirl for keeping the thread going and welcome CurryTruck and Igglyboo!
Good to see regulars posting .

Clare I hope things settle for you and you can keep a depressive episode at bay . It’s hard to interact with our partners when we are feeling fragile and it’s not easy to share what is going on . School starting again and getting into that routine when you are tired is hard. Delegate where you can Clare ?

Lauren, that is so good that you were validated and appreciated by your pupils in your promotion. I hope the workload is becoming more manageable now ?

Hi caronl , hi Merry ! I always feel warm and cuddly knowing you are both still there ! Julz you are a legend with your running and that’s brilliant that you are managing that staying low carb. There is a book called ‘ The art and science of low carbohydrate living’ by Jeff Volek and Stephen Phinny that advocates low carb for athletes . You amaze me Julz !!

I love the fact that this thread allows us to discuss so much more than weight and our struggles with food. Reading the posts this week there are so many more issues that come into play .

SG I too thought your post was honest and brave . It is most definitely true that we spend a lot of time trying to please others, fearing the consequences if we imagine changing things and ultimately going with status quo as it’s less challenging or that we expect things to improve . We are not responsible for others’ behaviour and we can only take responsibility for our own . I admire your strength and insight and your hubby is lucky to have you !! Maybe a bit scared by that strength because deep down he knows he needs you ?

Amz/ Orangepanda you know that I have followed your posts from the first time you came on the thread and I have often been saddened and yes outraged to hear how you are at times belittled and sabotaged in your efforts. I have often said that you are worth more and you shouldn’t allow it but I am not in your situation and no one can really tell you what to do ( I’ve been very tempted I will admit !!!)
Amz it’s your life, your health and you really must not allow anyone to put you down. Always remember this … THEIR BEHAVIOUR SAYS SO MUCH MORE ABOUT THEM THAN IT DOES ABOUT YOU !
I wonder if your hubby is fearful and insecure and masks that by exerting some control ( over you ?) You should feel supported and encouraged in your relationship but ultimately you have to feel strong in yourself and uplifted by your progress regardless of what anyone does to undermine you .
I do think you are getting stronger though Amz and you are learning to filter the negativity around you. I hope you will read sunshinegirl’s post and not be fearful of what she is voicing . We are all here to support you Amz and even if at times some things are uncomfortable to read, you are safe with us . We have your back .
Please don’t go away ( I will come and find you 😉 )

By the way hair loss is often cited as a consequence of low carb. I think dietdoctor discusses it and if I remember rightly it can help to increase protein.

About loose skin . I lost 30 kg and did not have any loose skin (some wrinkly bits on my thighs and arms but not loose as such ) I always include some form of fasting in my week as simple as never eating breakfast to doing extended fasts up to 60 hours when that feels ok and I think that has had some effect . Remember Jason Fung never referred his fasting patients for loose skin surgery . I however do not have a flat stomach and doubt I ever will but that does not bother me .
Amz you are making great progress with your weight loss and exercise regime . Remember to focus on you , stay strong and stay with us !!!

I am going to have a nose round SG’s house now !!!

SG- your comment both warmed my heart and made me laugh. My marriage is definitely a cause of stress, but I do not believe in divorce without adultery so I’m doing my best to stick together and improved my situation. Our dear Wendy has received more than a few sad texts over the last year as my spouse and I went through a rougher patch, but alas, in the end, I decided to make things work. To answer your questions: he isn’t a god, but he does have a six-pack. 😉 He can be insensitive, unfeeling and downright cruel at times, but I am more forgiving in nature so it takes a lot for me to blow my top. We were both abused as children and our shared pain is actually what brought us together. Over the years we’ve been through a lot, and whether you believe me or not, this man loves me. When I was in a severe car accident and in a coma, he stayed by my side and ensured I was taken care of properly, even after my family gave me up for dead. When I woke up, I had to relearn how to talk, eat, and walk. He carefully looked after me in such a tender way… Unfortunately, a few years ago, an incident happened that severely affected his mental health and he dramatically changed. I understand you care about me and I’m grateful, but just as he stuck around for my hard times, I don’t want to give up on him. Recently things have been getting better; it’s still not perfect obviously, but I can genuinely say there’s improvement. While things may never be the same, I hope we have renew the respectful and peaceful environment in our home.

Sorry, I missed a few days. Work because crazy suddenly and I was swamped! Yesterday was not quite right; I did not have any grains or desserts, but it was definitely over 800 (watermelon, homemade beef stew with carrots, celery, and potatoes.)

Also, what’s the general consensus of monk fruit?

Sorry,! Something came up when I was in the middle of writing and I had to leave suddenly so I just posted what I had at the time.

Monk fruit. I was talking to my sister about wanting to make a London Fog (Earl grey tea, milk, vanilla syrup) at home without using sugar. She runs a mobile coffee cafe business so I thought she could give me tips. Anyway, she sweetly surprised me by preparing a bottle of sugar free vanilla syrup made out of vanilla beans, water, and monk fruit. It was super nice of her, but since I don’t know much about that alternative sweetener, I thought I’d ask our resident experts. I would hate to knock myself off the track.

OrangePandaMomma You have been through a lot and am sending you virtual hugs. Just a thought maybe he is scared that if you succeed and lose the weight, you will find someone else and leave him so he undermines you to keep the status quo. In the end losing the weight is for you and not for him. So celebrate your successes here and use us to prop you up when the hard times hit.

Hi everyone, OPM glad to see you are still with us. Lets concentrate on you and your weight loss goals and plans and we will support you in that. On that subject, the vanilla syrup is not a good idea. If it tastes sweet then your body will react as if it is sugar and you will get insulin spikes (even if not diabetic) and craving will start up or continue if you have not lost the sweet tooth.

Nothing much to report. My hair is still coming out in strands (not chunks) and is so thin. I am seeing my hairdresser tomorrow and although she wont be able to help me I am going to ask her to cut it a bit shorter and not to do a colour and my usual tabby cat streaks. I have just washed it myself so hopefully she will just wet it and gently blow dry.

Just going to do a bit more of my Polish lessons. Thing is, at a basic level I am learning that the girl eats an apple, the boy eats an apple, but nothing very useful. I should get onto greetings soon. Take care everyone and keep on keeping on…

Sunshine girl & OrangePandaMomma. I just came on this thread to see if this would help with your hair loss. I’ve started hubby on this as his hair loss is getting worse. (He also has to have B12 injections – low B12 can make you lose your hair too so get yours checked). Anyway this is by ‘The Ordinary’ Deciem. He’s only been using it for 2 weeks but already I’m noticing baby hairs growing on him. It’s inexpensive too. Look up the reviews on their website as some people it works almost miracles on.
Got him onto a regime now the multi-peptide at nighttime before he goes to bed & the hemi-squalane in the morning. Nighttime one costs £15.80 for 60ml, Squalane costs just £2.75 for 30ml. I think you can buy a bigger bottle of the Squalane too???
https://deciem.com/en-gb/theordinary/mas-rdn-multi-peptide-serum-for-hair-density.html
https://deciem.com/en-gb/theordinary/mas-rdn-100pct-plant-derived-hemi-squalane.html?dwvar_mas-rdn-100pct-plant-derived-hemi-squalane_size=30ml&quantity=1

Might be worth you all looking at their make-up too. I adore their serum foundation @just £5.70 for 30ml. The serum is lovely, it covers REALLY well & makes your skin feel really good & it has an SPF of 15 too! It’s a steal at this price & just as good as some I’ve paid over £50 for. They also do a concealer but you can layer on the foundation instead in the areas you need toned down. It covers well & often just looks natural but better, if you know what I mean.
https://deciem.com/en-gb/theordinary/mas-rdn-serum-foundation-eu.html

I’m still keeping on, keeping on. Doing probably a 4:3 instead of a 5:2 at the moment & keeping to a 16:8 intermittent fasting daily. Weight loss has slowed to around 1-1.5lbs a week for me BUT I’m OK with that. Hubby won’t get on the scales – Is it because he’s snacking when I lose sight of him for 10mins OR as he says ‘Once a week or fortnight is enough for me’ Who knows? I’m still over the moon at being in remission & I absolutely love this WOE, It’s SO easy now. I find even if I cheat now (Sidolis dairy Ice-cream (Lemon Meringue Pie flavour is my downfall) I can stay in Ketosis – I think probably as we always do 16:8 & if I have a craving I eat it within an hour, Probably more like 10-15mins.

Hope the above helps some-one & keep on keeping on all as the BSD turns your health for the better – as I keep telling everyone who’ll listen
Linda xxxx

Hi OPM. Check out Diet Dr. monk fruit is listed as the number 3 sweetener to use after Stevia and Erythritol. Link below. The same caveats that SG mentioned are also listed.

https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/keto/sweeteners

PLEASE bear with me folks . I have just got in from a very stressy and tiring day so I will set up the new thread tomorrow unless Sunny or SG read this . I cannot think straight right now xx

Just to let you all know, the new weekly thread is up and running. Unfortunately Wendy has had an arduous day and so asked me to set up the new thread again this week, but she’ll be with us from tomorrow. Please jump across whenever you are ready.

Thanks Annie!