Another week has gone by with its challenges again for many of us . The issues of sugar addiction, emotional and comfort eating are for ever present but we are getting there . The honesty and determination to battle through and beat the carb monsters is what characterises our weekly thread and we are not giving up now .

We learn so much from sharing our experiences and what has worked for us. There is always compassion and support whatever you are battling .
Mid May ….. and people in the UK can hug each other and have a drink inside a pub ! Maybe even plan a holiday abroad ??? Enjoy dear friends ! We look forward to hearing from you as restrictions are lifted !

Wherever you are in this crazy world, come and join us and we will do our best to keep you motivated !

Wendy, SunnyB and sunshinegirl xxx

OOOPS, posted the list on the wrong thread !!!
wendleg, Sunny B, sunshine girl
JGwen
sixturkeys
Starina
Verano
ADD6605 ( Dawn)
Riccoh
Russianroulade
Tulip1 ( Clare)
Mifoz
MerryMelba
Maryanne Carlos-Mascarenhas
WindyJulz
articfox
Olive1
lauraknits
Marsie (Marilyn)
EllieAllegra
EC:Erin
Hello66
Jordana
Alipetunia/Alison
RubyG and hubby
Ditchedthemet
Dizzychicken
SlinkyTinks
LonelyAdipose
Emzijw
Barefoot girl
Life Diet
allicat1A ( Allie, formerly alliecat !)
RedRooster
nhatha3432
sprox
skittle
Daisybean
workingfromthe fridge
Bombalone
PSL68
ScottM
florobo85/Lauren
Tamara1
MillieMoo/Claire
SummerTwinkles/ Summer
Sheila Canning
JustKeepFasting
Bryla
kiltgirl
Deb2003
Donnadoobie
HappiR
WilLuck
PaulaZ
Faithlyn67
Onetowatch
nicnocgee
Smead01 ( Samantha)
Goforgoal
Britta
Mokovex
DebOflo
Riverrock
HopefulinOz/Donna
Quetzal
Onnipinoy
Magicbean
Pashasmum
avisamuelgrey
scotsgirl57
Annamarieboo
peanutbutty
erinmc82
Kat2020
xx1flump1xx
Ncij678
LizzieTOFI

Welcome back to anyone on that fantastic list. If you are a newbie lurking in the webinair dont be shy, come and say hello and join with us in our encouragement and friendliness. See you all during the week.

Hard to believe another week has shimmied past! The list of those who have been contributors to the weekly thread, seems to expand with each new week and hopefully we will see posts from the majority during the coming week.
This is a safe space to share both the good and the not-so-good and know that someone will offer support, advice and praise as appropriate …. no judgement here. So whether you are continuing, returning or beginning, be assured you’ll be welcome and we’re looking forward to reading about what’s happening for you.
On a personal note, no change here. Continuing to maintain and varying the duration of overnight fasts. Still struggling to find the motivation to get back to basics and drop the last few pounds, but am accepting that is just where I am at present and when I’m ready, will be able to ‘rally the troops’ for the final push.
Whatever stage you are at and whatever struggles you are facing, remember to be kind to yourself and be assured you’ll find understanding on the weekly thread. Have a great week everyone.

I’m still here, just about managed to get through ‘that week’ and get rid of a kg last week, alas only to be tripped up by a batch of brownies my son made. Appears despite weeks of no sugar I’m not quite strong enough to stand up to homemade brownies yet… fortunately he only bakes once in a blue moon, so I should be safe for a while. So a kg is a loss, but it’s probably time to start logging calories, so I’ll make that my challenge this week. Hope you’re all doing well!

Thank you all for continuing to include me despite my disappearance. 😞
I’m starting again💃 weekly goal to stay on track. Just simply to count everything will be a big step forward.

Hi everyone,
I had a week of hard labour last week whilst off work. Back to my day job this week. It was incredibly hot here over the weekend for this time of year. Sunday it was around 28 C, and I worked at caring for the horses and in the garden from 7:30am until 9pm. I’m sure I lost a lot of weight, but it would have been mostly water weight due to sweating so much. However, my mum did say on Friday that my t-shirt looked looser, so maybe not just water? My jeans feel a tad looser around the waist as well. I’ve been so weight loss (and size loss) resistant over the last couple of years that even this small shift feels like a big deal. Who knew that I only had to work myself to death? It has been good though to feel myself getting stronger and putting on muscle, and gaining the stamina to work these long days.

RubyG and hubby reporting for duty.
We’ve both had a decent week with some further losses to report. We have a house guest this week, we haven’ seen each other since Christmas 2019 so it is lovely, and he is more than happy to follow our low carb WOE this week.
So last night was homemade mutton curry and cauli rice, breakfast was poached eggs with spinach and mushrooms, and lunch will be Asian-style chicken broth.
I was out of the house yesterday and took a packed lunch – crustless quiche and 1 Brazil nut, with water and black coffee.
ODAAT and let’s have a good week!

That was an exhausting day, Arctic! Sounds like you are gaining some NSV though, which is great validation for what you’re doing.
Jordan, welcome back …. keep us posted on progress and shout if you need advice/support.
Don’t worry about the brownies Britta, just move on and see what you can achieve this week.
Sounds like you guys are sorted Ruby and very focused, even with the distraction of a guest and a day out … keep up the good work.

Day 3 of our Christmas houseguest and still on track.
He is loving the food and we are keeping to our usual low-carb WOE with no between meal snacking.
I have also, thanks to SG, managed to reframe the nut conundrum in that 1 Brazil nut at 30cals is a nutritional supplement and not a snack, and have been having it with 100ml homemade milk kefir. We’ve also been eating a bit more fermented foods, and I think my gut biome is liking it and treating me well in return, as I have had no cravings so far this week.
I have read the Clever Guts book cover-to-cover and am now reading the Fast800, and enjoying the explanations behind calorie restriction, fasting, TRE etc.
Onwards and downwards everyone!

Hey all

I badly need some virtual hugs (real ones too, but that’ll have to wait). To be honest not really diet related as although I’m not really eating the right things, I’m also not eating much of it, but I’m struggling. I had an episode of PTSD two years ago due to an incident at work, and I had loads of help (although I had to find all that myself!) and have been so much better and working really hard with my counsellor etc. But now it’s coming back and I don’t know why and I’m scared. I’m not expecting anyone to solve this or even understand but I really just need some friendly words at the moment

Hope you’re all ok x

Lauren xx

Doesn’t matter that your issue is not directly BSD related, Lauren …. alrbough ultimately it could impact on your relationship with food of course, but aside from that, mental wellbeing is so important. So sorry you find yourself in this situation, it must be scary. Can you see or at least talk to your counsellor to get some professional support?

Meanwhile, take things gently, don’t demand too much of yourself right now, take time out of work if you need to and do please come here as a safe place to seek a little warmth and kindness. Big hugs to you … hope you will find yourself back on a more even keel soon 🤗🤗🤗

One massive hug coming your way Lauren. I sense that stress is building and the warning signs are there to say slow down before you reach critical burn out. Yes as Sunny says,can you take some time out to recharge and reconnect with yourself ? Work can wait but if you reach breaking point it will take much longer to recover. I.hope you can get some more counselling support to help with the PTSD but remember you need to look after yourself and if that means taking a bit of time out that’s OK.
We are all here whenever you need to share anything Lauren xx

Lauren – sending you so many hugs and support, and virtual shoulders to rest your head on.
It takes a lot of strength to be vulnerable anywhere, and I am so glad that you are comfortable enough with all of us to tell us what is happening with you. I don’t have any experience with PTSD, but I would think that voicing what is happening and how it is impacting you at the moment is a pretty important first step in getting the support and love you need to get you through this. I hope you are also able to talk with your fiance openly about this, as I am sure that she will want to support you in this time also. It sounds like you made a lot of progress since the incident that started this, and even though you are struggling right now, please remember that you are not alone, we are all here and we have your back, and with the right support you will be able to recover from this again.
Much love xxx

Sorry to hear that you are struggling, Lauren. I had a couple of incidents at work that left me with massive anxiety. One was related to a traumatic incident that I attended in my capacity as a first aid attendant, and the other that was happening at the same time was bullying by managers right up to the top of my workplace. So I can understand. I still struggle when my manager or anyone above me that I might have to report to changes, and if anyone so much as shows a hint of bullying, it all comes back to haunt me. I think that is when I started reward eating, but I also had periods where I was too anxious to eat much of anything and just had to eat what I felt like to try to keep going.

Lauren – I am sending you a warm virtual hug from Norway.
It may not feel like a good advice as it is very simple, but it may help to avoid TV and news, and get enough sleep (if you can) and try to eat regularly. Being around close ones may be difficult these days, but that and a walk in nature looking at flowers could provide some calmness. Many of us think about you and send you our warmest most heartfelt good wishes.
– Quetzal

Hi Lauren, I know exactly what you are feeling. Are you in a situation right now – if so you need to distance yourself from it. If it is just the thoughts and feelings returning then you need to understand that you are in control and are more powerful than you give yourself credit for. I have been through some terrible times and a bullying man can bring it all back. When a situation arose that was sending me back down into depression I told my doctor to sign me off work as I was back in a bullying situation. I refused medication as I knew I wasnt needing it but I needed to get myself right. I took walks, relaxed, did meditation, wrote worry lists and watched old comedies – Vicar of Dibley always made me laugh. I know what it is like to play an event over and over – what if I had said this, what if I didnt do that and so on. You cannnot change what happened but you can change how you think about it and how you are going to let it affect you. One thing I found helpful was to write my thoughts down on a piece of paper to get it out of my head then put it to one side and tell it not to bother me any more. The next day I would just throw it away. Or you can give your worries a 5 minute slot in your day, let it have free rein in your mind then tell it to p-ss off – it has had its say, now you can just let it go. There is nothing to hurt you now.

Hopefully you are getting big cuddles and hugs from your financee and anything that gives you comfort. You can always talk here. Hope I havent overstepped the mark.

Will reply properly later, but just wanted to quickly say no sunshinegirl you haven’t overstepped at all, I just wanted to reassure that as I know I would worry about it too!

Thank you all, will message properly later x

Lauren, as long as you are in a safe space and can get help. One good thing from this is, like me, you recognise the signs. This puts you in a much better position to deal with things. Take care.

Very wise words from SG. Hope you are managing there,Lauren. We are all thinking of you and sending you all our support. Don’t hesitate to share with us. I am always amazed how people respond with such kindness and empathy because they have been through a similar experience. We are all here to help each other. Stay strong there Lauren

Thank you all so much, I have to say reading through the messages has made me a bit weepy – unfortunately I already have extremely low self-esteem and my particular brand of PTSD ramps that up to 11 so feeling pretty s*** about myself right now and very undeserving of support

SunnyB, wendleg, HopefulinOz, arcticfox, Quetzal and sunshinegirl thank you so much for the kind words and encouragement and support and understanding, I really appreciate it. And thank you also for sharing your stories with me, it makes me feel less alone and I am grateful for your honesty and candour, and suggestions as well which are all very valid. I’m sort of in crisis mode at the moment and finding it hard to concentrate or think of anything past the next five minutes but in a couple of days when the adrenaline burns out I will definitely want to start doing some self care like you all suggested.

I don’t want to whinge on too long because I don’t want others feeling they can’t contribute to the forum with it all about me, but to reassure, yes I am currently in a safe place, this is all flashbacks/nightmares etc. of past trauma rather than new trauma which is a positive, and I’m getting help from my fantastic counsellor who has been amazing through this whole last two years. Just taking one day at a time, struggling with extreme nausea and low appetite which means I’m then also feeling dizzy and light-headed, and just generally weak, and keep nearly having anxiety attacks but so far I’ve managed to head those off with breathing techniques. Did randomly break down in tears on someone in a virtual meeting yesterday which was embarrassing. Spoken to my boss and we are going to work out a plan on Monday, I’d love to just go off sick but I know what I’m like – I am too controlling and I would just worry about everything that wasn’t getting done, or the students not getting what they needed and deserved (I’m teaching our first years this trimester and they have had a really rubbish time so far with COVID) so it’s best if I sit with my boss and work something out, but she’s told me if I wake up tomorrow and it’s just too hard to go in to call her and she’ll sort something out. That’s not helping with the tremendous guilt I’m feeling right now for struggling over something so stupid when so much other stuff is going on in the world – do feel completely pathetic at the mo! Fortunately I am very lucky with an excellent boss, although part of what happened before was due to a shockingly awful one – not the whole story but part of it. Anyway look at me saying I wasn’t going to go on and then going on.

Hope you are all ok and thank you again

Lauren x

Hi All,

I am posting to say that I am at the end of my 10 weeks. I feel fabulous and thanks to everyone for sound advice and positive thoughts throughout. I started at 83.6 kg’s on the 13th of May and am now just over 10kg ‘s lighter, weighing in at 73.4 kg’s this morning.

I have my ball tomorrow and I fit into my dress finally. Still have another 3 kgs or so to loose to get rid of that wrenched tummy, but I will switch to the 5:2 from here on.

Thanks everyone!

Samantha

Fantastic news sam well done you, I’m sure you’ll look stunning at your ball x

Britta…..yeah, homemade chocolate brownies….no chance I wouldn’t have one tbh….however I *might* now stop at one or 2 over a couple of days as opposed to going on a temporary ‘brownie diet’ for 3 days straight….think cabbage soup diet and replace with brownies…. 🙄🙄😆

Samantha, omg, that’s an amazing weight loss in such a short time!!

Lauren, massive hug, I have had a lot of mental health issues and had some periods off work as well as in work with lots of support- I am very lucky atm to have understanding managers and we have a system where I have to tell them everyday how I am (might be just I’m fine, might be feeling a bit depressed but ok to work, might be, I feel terrible, I don’t know what to do, might be, I’m feeling a little (hypo)manic….and am I safe to be there?) and they check on me if I don’t say anything as if I am not right I find it hard to say it. And they can take action if they think I need help. (That came about after a long period of instability in 2018 when I was undiagnosed with bipolar and didn’t know what the hell was wrong with me…medicated and with help I am fairly stable now). So, I think it’s really positive that you and your manager can sit down and make a plan and you do have that option to not go in if things are too bad. You have a busy and stressful job with a fair bit of responsibility and you have had extra personal stressors and covid to deal with….if I get to the point of feeling nauseous and dizzy all the time it can be a sign that I have been doing too much for too long and my body and mind need to rest (I have CFS like you and that is how mine gets as well as fatigue in a flare up/ crash as well as if I get very anxious). Any how, that was a bit rambly. Much love xxx

On a personal note, I am struggling somewhat with mood and eating, but doing my best.

Love to all,
Tulip xxxxx

Lauren, wanted to thank you for being so frank and open about you mental health issues, freeing others voice theirs too.
It struck me today, just how many of us here have a background of mental health issues on one level or another and how that has undoubtedly fed into our weight issues. It really highlights how mindset and our thought processes, impacts on our relationship with our sense of self worth, our bodies and food.

So, to everyone struggling today, be compassionate with yourself and know you are worthy of the very best both from yourself and others.

Sunny B, definitely, and thank you to you, and as you say, Lauren for opening up the chat about mental health 😍

Tulip I think if we knew each other in real life we’d probably be kindred spirits! Thank you for helping me to feel less alone and less ridiculous xx

SunnyB I think it’s so important to be honest about this stuff, none of us are robots and it’s so damaging pretending we’re all fine and dandy all the time, and as you say it can have such an impact on all aspects of our life including eating and nutrition.

L xx

100% Lauren….and if we were being a bit naughty we’d be meeting at that bendy cookie place 😉😉

Had a massive dip today…kinda broke….but I guess it was obvious that I literally couldn’t move off the sofa after finishing work today so hubby and child 2 have cooked dinner and now I have wine so hopefully things will be on the up from tomorrow 😚

Oh Ben’s cookies tulip!

Sorry you have had a rough day, take care of yourself and I’m glad your hubby is looking after you x

Happy Saturday everyone. Didnt win the lottery again so I am still here 🙂 🙂 🙂

Couple of good news items. I am now within 2 lbs of the weight I reached when I first did BSD 5 years ago. Just lost another kilo and under another big number so I have in recent weeks gone from 78 on 1st January to 74 kgs. It really makes me want to KOKO. Blood glucose continues to remain low even with less and less insulin. Now using 17 units – was 28 at beginning of year. Every reduction in insulin makes it easier to lose weight. Currently doing 800 cals, TRE and no alcohol.

Other good news is hubby has been testing BG now and then and is running at less than ‘normal’ and has only had to make a few small adjustments to his diet as he doesnt have carbs with dinner so no potatoes, rice or pasta – sometimes with a curry he will have a small pitta. Cut his lunchtime sandwich to 1 slice of bread like an open sandwich but adding another topping so for example, if he has ham he tops it with a fried egg, much better for him than another slice of bread but just a small thing to do. Also stopped daily banana habit. And definitely no honey on his porridge. On top of that he has lost 3kgs in the 2 weeks since he saw the doctor. Blast, he didnt even need to but he did say he was struggling to bend down to fasten his shoes as easily. We are hoping his other blood works will also have improved as one can lead to another. If blood glucose is running high it gets stored in the liver so triglycerides and cholesterol can be affected. I have told him to KOKO and not think he can slide back.

Have a great weekend everyone – Eurovision tonight – I record it and whizz through the rubbish but like to watch the results coming in. Saddo that I am.

Back again, I forgot the most important news of all – we have booked our ferry crossing for mid July. Fingers crossed France will be in the green zone by then. Cant understand why we are seeing holidaymakers in our local supermarket – how did they manage to get here when France has had closed borders. Beats me but I am sure they must be either tested or vaccinated although… Dont know.

Congratulations Sunshine-girl on all of your successes – your weight, your BG levels, your ‘husband-wins’…all such positive news!

I have had a funny week – not as big of losses as I would have liked, especially given I have been 100% compliant, but I guess that’s the way it goes sometimes. I was having a chat with my Mum, who mentioned that she thought that the last time I was this slim was when I was about 15. She meant it as a huge compliment, but it is odd how when you have been quite sensitive about your weight and haven’t really voiced it out loud, something like that has the ability to bring back a lot of unpleasant memories.

I was able to chat with her really honestly about how much of a failure I felt like during my university years and my 20’s and 30’s, always comparing myself with that of friends who seemed to maintain their size 10 bodies with relative ease, whilst there were times that I couldn’t squeeze any longer into Size 14 pants and was having to buy size 16’s. It was frustrating because I would often compare what I was eating to what they were eating, and it didn’t seem like I was really doing anything different to them. So it made me feel like I must be really lazy, or slovenly, and that it was 100% my fault even though I didn’t know why. I tried diets, they failed…must be my fault.

I reckon the worst time came about two years ago. My incredible husbad and I were celebrating our wedding anniversary, and booked into an amazing Greek restaurant that we love. We both know the portions there are very generous, so I didn’t eat for 24 hours before going, and by the time we arrived I was ravenous…. and dressed up, feeling like I looked really nice for a romantic night out. When we arrived the restaurant was packed, and our table just about joined up with the table next to us, with two ladies a bit older than me and an older gentleman on it. Anyway, meals arrive, husband and I having a beautiful evening, and after we have finished eating the lady from the table next to us leans over and says, quite loudly to me ‘Oh my, I can’t believe you ate all of that….I have never seen anybody eat so much food…if I ate that I would literally explode’. And she sat there with a ‘sweet as pie’ face on, in her size 6 dress, looking so smug. I was absolutely HUMILIATED….. I couldn’t believe anyone would be so rude and nosy, but at the same time I just wanted to sink into the ground.

And what I have realised is that if she said that to me now, I would a) Tell her she is unnecessarily rude; and b) Actually not care because I am slim(mer) now and don’t feel like a failure or like I stand out. But back then I definitely didn’t have the confidence to deal with it, nor the understanding that it was NOT my fault. I wasn’t overweight because I was greedy, or slovenly, or ate all day long every single day. I was overweight because I thought I was meant to eat bread at lunch, and rice or pasta at dinner, and given I was also raised eating carbs multiple times every single day I am no doubt insulin resistant and my body was screaming ‘enough’ . I was hungry often because of the insulin spikes, and all I was doing was following what the government tells us is the ‘healthy food pyramid’.

I have a new found empathy for my younger self. If only I knew back then what I know now. I have just finished reading Gary Taubes’ “Why we get fat” and thoroughly enjoyed it. Confirmation that it wasn’t my fault, and that what I am doing now is best for my long term health.

Anyway, so sorry for the rant. This has been on my mind heavily for a few days. I have been strangely emotional over it, so it is good to get it down somewhere.

I hope you all have a lovely Sunday xx
‘

Just quickly as I have a busy day ahead. Spanish chorizo soup to make in batch, aubergine to slice and slow bake for crisps and some for tomorrows dinner topping (anything with mince) and some more art work to get done.

Hopeful – diets are psychologically designed to fail but instead of us saying ‘oh that diet was rubbish’ we believe the hype and think it must be us that is no good at it. I have a friend that goes to SW – and if any of you remember me telling this story a couple of years back the situation still exists so not retelling it. She was around 18 stone when she started and did well in the first few weeks then thought she could do it herself, failed and went back to SW. She did well again losing around half a stone in 2 weeks. Wind on 3 years and she is (was due to Covid) still going and weighed 22 stone. She was told to keep trying – i.e. keep paying £7.50 a week for us to keep giving you the wrong advice. As a diabetic I bought her the BSD book but she knows better as SW told her she can eat as much pasta as she wants – although that is not what it says in their handbook. Anyway, a year in lockdown doing her own healthy eating she has lost around 2 stone. Yes we have been conned by the diet industry. If their diets worked they would go out of business. Also we all know the advice we have been given is just plain wrong. Look at the NHS pyramid of healthy diets with all that grain on the bottom row with the advice of eating at least one portion per meal. I went to a nutritionist because I was doing great with my natural instinct to low carb but was getting severe hypo (v.l. blood sugar) and she told me to eat carbs 5 times a day – I still have the diet sheet. Hence, disaster, a 3kg gain in a few weeks and soaring BG. We cant really blame doctors or nurse practitioners. As a young trainee nurse we were told that we would be bored to death with the lessons on nutrition and most of us would fail. Yes it was boring and yes most of us failed but I managed to pass on resit. Plus we only got one hour per week on it. Things have changed but it takes a long time for it to filter down into the medical population. You cannot train someone to think one way and then years later tell them they are wrong. We are getting there with people like Dr Unwin.

Dont fret about what has past – we know better now and besides being a great weight loss, health restoring diet, it can be a healthy way of eating for life, not just a diet. As for people making comments – yes it was hurtful but maybe it brought you here and to where you are today. That skinny old bird does not factor in your life. Keep going and stay well.

So much for me being quick although I am a very fast typist.

Checking in to see how the weekend is going. Well done on all counts SG ! You are a total inspiration with your dogged determination and commitment . Absolutely brilliant results and so glad your hubby is responding well to low carb . Hopefully you can be less anxious about him developing diabetes now.

HopefulinOz I was appalled to hear of your experience with the incredibly rude woman in the restaurant !! How dare she judge you !!! I am so glad that if it happened today then you would have a different response but I reckon such appalling smugness says a lot more about her than it does about you .

It must feel good to voice what has been haunting you for so long and to finally understand what is behind our multiple failed diet attempts . Yes I too feel empathy for the younger woman struggling constantly with weight -related low self esteem and my need to build a carapace to protect myself in addition to my uniform of leggings and ample tunics. It’s absolutely normal to feel emotional about your past experience and I love the fact that our experiences are all similar and we are all here bonded together to offer a helping hand .

Talking of which how has your weekend been Lauren and Tulip ( Clare) I think about you both a lot and hope you are coping . I am sure you will let us know when you can.

Articfox YOU too are incredible in the way you have picked yourself up and transformed your life , throwing yourself into all the work on your new property . Totally inspiring.

Britta are you ok ?

Well done Samantha/ Smead01 !! I hope your ball went well and you felt a million dollars ! All the best for maintaining with 5.2 . Check in with us any time . I suppose I do a form of 5.2 but my 2 days are total fasting days rather than low calorie . I have to be aware of the ‘re feeding’ moments though . Iam constantly learning even after all this time .

Julz are you busy getting ready for your event ? I know you will check in sometime but I don’t like it when you go quiet !

I hope you enjoyed your houseguest , Ruby . You sound very much on top of everything and just keep going .

I sometimes just have to go back to basics . Eliminating snacks, even if I kid myself they are healthy ! Eating only when I am hungry, savouring the taste of fresh, wholesome foods , rereading the books that made such a difference . Looking forward to more lunches in our garden . Our weather here has been a bit unpredicatable too

Felt quite proud that the French entry came second in Eurovision with a classic ( Edith Piaf ) style song with powerful lyrics and no glitz and razamataz . Felt sad for the UK guy who did not deserve to be humiliated .

I will sign off and will return tomorrow . Hope everyone is managing . Whatever is going on in your life you can share with us xx

Donna I think the most difficult relationship we have is with ourselves and it’s also one of the hardest! I’m so sorry you’ve been reminded of a truly horrible experience, I can definitely empathise with those sort of experiences, it’s horrible to be reminded of these things and how unkind people can be but you should definitely be kind to yourself and feel proud you are now doing whatever you can to help yourself, and be kind to your younger self too!! That rude woman was in the wrong, not you!

Sorry that was a bit rambly, not sure I said what I actually meant to but hopefully you get the idea!

Sunshine girl sounds like great news on all fronts, especially booking your ferry over – keeping fingers crossed for you, it’s all good news at the moment here, the Deputy CMO Jenny Harries has said today it’s all looking on track for 21st June so fingers crossed!

Wendleg thank you for checking in, I’m bobbing along but I’m not going to lie, last few days have been a struggle. Haven’t gone off sick yet and desperately trying to get to the end of this week so I can have a weeks leave, but it’s going to be tough. Only had about 5 hours sleep since last Sunday and that has been broken by terrifying nightmares. Will keep fighting those demons though, got to say diet has taken a back seat but I’m trying not to go too off the rails, will just end up giving myself another stick to beat myself with if I do!

Hope everyone else is ok

L xx

Hello everyone – you all write about previous and current life experiences and events in a way that makes me feel that this forum – or exactly these weekly threads….one week at a time beginning… is actually something that provides inspiration, comfort, understanding, motivation and everyone are people who support each other in such a nice way. Pure human goodness. Wisdom and honesty – side by side. I rarely write. I will do that more often, I have decided. I think I need it too.
I have managed to reduce my weight by 14 kgs over several months – and I have a long way to go still (30kgs more), but the weight-loss have completely stopped the last month and a half and I feel miserable. I am physically very active, but I have eaten more carbs than I should. I will therefore go for 8 weeks fast 800 (or 1000) starting tomorrow. So my goal is to loose at least one kg a week – everything more than that is a bonus – actually every kg lost should be celebrated.
– Quetzal

Hi all, I’ve been away from screens for a few days, so much to catch up!
Wendleg – thank you for thinking of us all and keeping us on track as far as is possible (herding cats, anyone?).
Tulip, our houseguest is relatively recently diagnosed bipolar and has had a rough time with losing loved ones to Covid, so seeing him for the first time since Christmas 2019 was lovely! He was more than happy to eat low carb for the week, and tried cauli rice, cauli mash, fermented veg, our lunchtime chicken broth, among other favourites of ours.
Lauren, I have no experience with PTSD, but you have lots of virtual support here, we’ll do our best 🙂
SG – well done on hubby making some changes to his way of eating, that’s really good news.
Arcticfox – presumably you are not in the Arctic as you must have stolen the British summer, which we are still waiting to arrive.
Hopeful – comments like that hurt, it’s difficult to shrug them off, and for years most of us on here have been following duff advice on healthy eating – the Gary Taubes book and this WOE have opened my eyes to a different reality, and for now that new reality is working for me, and for hubby.
There was an article in the Mail yesterday that diabetes now affects more than 1B people, many undiagnosed, and that cases have quadrupled in the last 40 years. When did the low fat, high carb message start being forced upon us?
Actually, there was an article in the Waitrose free magazine on Health, explaining the food pyramid and how cutting back on carbs is bad for you and how much you need them in your diet, etc. and still pushing the low-fat narrative. The magazine went in the recycling 😉
Looking forward to a good week all, see you on the new thread tomorrow 🙂

Time to get us going for another week ! Off to set up the new thread !