We have had some really supportive exchanges this last week . There is always someone ready to step in with a top tip or advice based on experience and it is so uplifting to be part of such a great crowd .

So we are most definitely not going to stop now . For those of you in the Uk, the prospect of meeting up with friends and family outdoors is only a few weeks away .. For those of us still waiting for vaccines and facing uncertainty around the easing of lockdown rules or travel it’s a waiting game but whatever our circumstances , let’s stick together !

Looking after ourselves , doing our best in challenging times … be proud ,folks !

We are a good team . Everyone is welcome to join us !!

Wendy, SunnyB and sunshinegirl xxx

The lovely list
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

Thank you for the new weekly thread Wendy. I’m just dropping in to say that although I’ve decided to give myself some breathing space this week …. backing off and maintaining, so no recording every morsel consumed …. I will still drop in on the thread periodically.

I know several people are struggling right now (myself included), so if you’re one of them, just do what you can through the low points and don’t stress if you’re not totally to plan every single day. Take it a day at a time and be kind to yourself.

As Wendy says, there’s much to look forward to now, with the promise of restrictions being lifted soon. So try to look for positives and as SG says, keep on keeping on.

Hi all

Thank you so much for your kind words earlier and encouragement, I have to say I do feel a bit guilty for having a vent when so many others are struggling but big reciprocal hugs to all. I’m not someone who has a massive group of friends and to be honest the friends I do have are not great at dealing with “fed up” so it’s lovely to have a little village of friends here to reach out to.

I’ve had a bit of a stompy walk round our village and a bit of a cry when I got home and ready to try and pull up my big girl pants and move on.

Goforgoal wowwowwow what amazing results, well done you you must be chuffed to bits. Thank you for the encouragement, I did start on less than 50g of carbs and worked my way down but the tiredness hasn’t really changed – I do suffer with CFS so it’s possible it’s just that but we will see.

SunnyB thank you for the hugs, it’s nice to know I’m not the only one who’s ever struggled with this – sometimes all you read are the positives and that’s great but it does make you feel a little alone to feel like you’re struggling. That’s a good idea to switch up the TRE – I can certainly give that a go, and I think I will up my calories but not carbs for a couple days to see if it helps with the hunger. I’m also going to start taking my iron supplements again – I’d stopped for a while because they exacerbated the constipation I already suffer with on the BSD! Might help if I’m anaemia I guess, which I could be as I’ve had to drop the amount of green veg I was eating due to ultra low carb, and I don’t eat a lot of red meat so could be that. Could of course just be a flare up of CFS due to this stupid covid stress but time will tell, I will go to the GP if I can’t resolve it but I’m always reluctant to – when I was in the process of getting diagnosed with CFS 10-15 years ago (it took that long) I was back and forth all the time to the doctor and bloods were always normal, but I ended up feeling like I was wasting their time, also all the practice nurse would say is “well you are overweight so that’s probably why you’re tired”. Thanks for the bump on the recipe thread, I’ll take a look.

Sunshinegirl (Denise) thank you as well, it’s really hard with the clothes as I am still wearing my old ones but did buy some new in the size below and all are really quite snug which is very weird. Although I am wearing a top today that I’d stopped wearing because it’s quite clingy and made me look 9 months pregnant, and today it’s hanging flat over my tummy so maybe that’s flattened more than I realised. I’ve done my skincare routine tonight!

Thank you WindyJulz, unfortunately I’m not yet at the stage where a bit of something bad either doesn’t appeal (it really really still does!!) or makes me feel ill – I only wish it did then it might not be so tempting!! Good call on the vitamins, I am taking a multivitamin but honestly I don’t think I eat enough veg in such low carbs so I really think I’ll have to up those a little. I’m glad it’s not just me who hasn’t experienced the “buzz!” You didn’t waffle at all, you were being very kind and I appreciate it.

Tulip, I tried to do the very low carb thing because I wanted to try and mix it up a bit and see if I could speed up my loss but it hasn’t really worked or made a difference, but now I’m a bit irrationally scared to up them again in case it causes a sudden balloon in weight – I know I’m being silly, but as I said I am going to up them a bit I think so I can have more veg which might also help with the vitamins.

Ruby, thank you – your trousers story made me laugh – sorry! I remember a few years ago I bought what looked like a beautiful flapper dress for a party on eBay and it would have fit someone 3 ft tall! I did however sell my beautiful wedding shoes on eBay last week so not all bad – except I was so sad to see them go, they were ivory satin t-bars (I love t bars and vintage) with a very low heel but unfortunately I had ankle surgery on a basically knackered ankle two years ago and I just can’t wear heels any more, I could have tried but it was just uncomfortable. Brewer’s Yeast is high in B12 right? I might add a B12 supplement as it helps with iron absorption. I also rattle as I daily take folic acid (getting ready to start a family), multivitamin, green tea extract and psyllium husk tablets, as well as the optifibre and inulin I take in my morning coffee and apple cider vinegar I have in a glass of fizzy water at lunch 😂

Thank you all, you’re great

Lauren xx

Thanks Wendy, I’m in for the week. Still struggling to keep as low as 800, would really like to nail another 6-8 weeks of it, hopefully when the clocks change I find a little more evening energy and resolve. But i am keeping as low carb as i can and loosing any snacks….well that the theory. Read that back – ok, so extra low carbing this week and back to 800 next week….. thats a commitment, 2 weeks commitment at a time as thats what worked this time last year!!!

Lauren – the bad stuff does still appeal (well the really bas stuff does – cake, chocolate bread) and the feeling rubbish afterwards isnt instant so i am having to purposely make my mind associate the 2. I know that bread will make me sleepy within an hour and upset my gut within about 12 hours so i have to try and remember that when i have a hankering for the stuff. And in all honesty – every time i let myself have some, it is an anti-climax!! My best example – before christmas, i was really sad walking round asda and seeing mint Lindor balls, just so sad i couldnt have them. Someone got me some for chirstmas and eventually i had some….. total let down! They were “ok” but not as amazing as i had thought they were. So really, I’m glad i have experimented as i have learned form every bit of it, but i am getting less and less sad about what is not good for me and focusing on what i know is. (I just need to eat less of the good stuff!) You got this, keep positive.

Julz

Ah Julz now you see I can resist lindor or actually any expensive chocolate as I don’t like it, I like cheap cheerful virtually no cocoa Cadbury/galaxy 😂 – but yes I completely see your point, it doesn’t help that my partner is rake thin (but thinks he needs to lose weight) and is uber fit and sporty (we’re chalk and cheese!!) so does carb loading and all that before runs etc. And he still eats carbs with a lot of meals – so for example he had pasta with our carbonara on Saturday and I had courgetti, so he sits there with a big steaming bowl of pasta and I look at my sad pile of courgette and think “oh”. Although I ended up not being able to stomach the carbonara on Saturday because of the overwhelming feet taste so I’m not sure pasta would have made it better!!

Two week targets sounds like a great idea, I’ve been thinking about my goals and I’ve got times set up now for a few months – so for example it’s nearly two weeks till Easter, first time I’ll have seen my family since October, and I’ve set a target of 32.5lbs by then which is only 2lb from where I am now, then it’s my birthday a month later, my sisters a month after that – I think I’m going to try and set realistic targets according to “events” I’ve got coming up rather than number of lbs as I think I’ll get less despondent if I don’t hit a magic number per week or whatever.

You’ve got this too!! You can get those carbs down and the 800 cal too, I’m only at 750 cal today and I think 16g carbs and I’m having cloud bread with whole Earth peanut butter and some cucumber for lunch, and I’m making a chicken in a creamy mustard sauce tonight which I’ll have with cauli rice and fine green beans so it is doable but take it one day at a time!

Lauren xx

Lauren, good to see you are feeling more upbeat today, having formulated a way forward and set some goals/targets. Please feel free to vent here anytime…. it’s what we are here for, ‘cos we can’t support and encourage, if we don’t know you’re struggling. The forum made all the difference for me, I know I’d have thrown in the towel, if it weren’t for the lovely community here.

Morning all.
Glad things are looking brighter for you Lauren. I think sometimes just saying out loud that it’s a bit tough helps. It’s definitely got me through a few tough bits, I’d post a bit of a rant, log off and then solve the problem myself before logging back on to all the good advice :-D.
I had a good first week back, lost a lot of weight and was beginning to feel cravings subside. Then yesterday was my second lockdown birthday and I ate half a pack of biscuits following the rule that if you eat them in a hurry with no-one watching the calories do not count… In my philosophy you have to choose your battles so I’m not too upset about that. New week is off to a good start. I managed to stick to 800 calories (or close enough), less than 50g carbs a day and 3 meals no snacks last week, so same plan for this week.
Hope you all have a good week.

Ruby and hubby are still on board this week, with our usual Tuesday gain from the weekend and on plan to show an overall Friday-to-Friday loss.
I had my vaccine yesterday and thought I’d escaped any side-effects, but it all kicked off just before 1am – stinking headache, chills and sweats. I took 2 paracetamol and decamped to the spare room, forced some breakfast down this morning and went back to bed for an hour. I seem to be starting to come out of it, but will take it easy today and may have a nap between meetings. I do know the side-effects are a good sign, and that they’re a necessary evil.
Have a good day everyone!

Good to hear you had a good week last week Britta – I’m going to jump on you mo-jo and try to tag along!! I did laugh at your biscuits….. I would totally be the same. Quite right though, forget about it and get back to it today.

Glad you’ve had your vac Ruby, annoying side effects but you’ll be right as rain again soon. Glad you are seeing patterns and not letting weekend gain get you down., you are making it work for you. Friday weigh ins are a good plan.

Pasta is slimy and pointless Lauren – courgetti is (soggy) nutritional and can be tasty too. My pref is cabbage or leak spaghetti as it is a but more substantial…. LOL. You sound like you have a good plan of plans. Glad your more upbeat! Put all thoughts of sugary cr@p chocolate in a box adn forget about it. poison in a bar!

🙂

Interestingly enough Julz I do usually use cabbage or leek as my pasta substitute but I’ve been trying to give courgetti another chance as I feel I might have unfairly maligned it in the past. I’m not sure of courgette’s feelings on this of course, this is just guesswork.

I’ve also been playing around with shaved broccoli stems as a substitute for pasta, or grated instead of cauli rice to make a change, I used kohlrabi a lot last summer in the same way and broccoli stems are pretty similar to kohlrabi in terms of texture. My fiance drives me insane with broccoli, it’s about the only veg he will eat (he does eat other things because I make him but broccoli is the only one he really ‘enjoys’) but he’ll only eat the dark green flower heads and won’t touch the stems, I keep telling him the stems are actually nicer and as much nutrition, and milder tasting and sweeter but he won’t have it! So I eat a LOT of broccoli stems!!! Half decent chip substitute too.

Great results Britta and your biscuits made me laugh too, defo doesn’t count if you eat them quickly!

L x

I think the trick with the courgetti is to almost eat them raw. I’ve largely abandoned the attempts to make vegetables look like pasta or rice though and now just have a pile of veg with pasta sauce/curry etc poured over the top. This makes it easier as I’m also cooking for children who start crying if you attempt to trick them out of actual pasta. Another quick pasta or rice substitute here is those bags of sliced spring greens with a bit of garlic

oh, one last thing, I’m currently of the opinion that spinach w cream cheese and mustard is the only side dish you’ll ever need. I have it with everything

Hi Floro and everyone,
I also have CFS/ME, you mentioned absorption, constipation etc. I used to have probs with my gut and started making water kefir and
it makes such a difference, just one glass in the morning keeps your gut healthy. You just order grains online they come with instructions and it,s really simple to make, it is a bit fizzy and you can add fruit to your own taste which feeds the grains, people worry about calories as you make it with cane sugar but the grains digest that , anyway just thought it might be helpful, you can google all about it obviously.
I am on my second day and was quite dizzy this morning, I had my evening meal at 6.30 last night and then waited to have ‘brunch’ at noon about 20 mins after eating I felt fine and have lost a lb this morning.
So ‘Bon Courage’ everyone it,s great to read your posts

Bonjour everyone – Just thought I would spice it up with a French lesson. Thank you for the new thread Wendy. Hi to SunnyB, enjoy a break – I know you will still be here, watching.

Okay florob, glad you have found clothing that is now loose, the lack of difference might just be a change in body shape. Now it seems like you have a plan. Me too. I am always better when I get something into my head and even better if it is a good thing rather than sabotage. Today is hubbys birthday and even though I am counting it as off plan I have only had my lovely fresh strawberries (I tend to save them until they go off, pointless) and greek yoghurt. Lunch was a big Med salad including red pepper, olives, dry fried bacon rashers (3 v. small) and half an avocado. So still very healthy. Tonight we will have a little celebration of some sparking wine from Saumur (better than champagne) and I am cooking (ah-hem not cooking) confit of duck from a tin. Just needs heating through, served with mashed turnip and carrot mix and steamed leeks. Not too bad for a bad day. I am raring to go now and cant wait for tomorrow to come.

I mentioned my plan last week and that is to try TRE or intermittent fasting. Anyone who knows me on here will know that I have so far resisted going without food for too long as I have the cri de coeur (French again) oh no, Im diabetic, I might fall down dead. I never believed I could do 800 cals without collapsing but I now do it all the time. I am at home, I am safe and I know my own body so here goes nothing. The thing I like about it from my research is it is not actually reducing the calories below 800 but giving the body a rest so that it can digest it and start dipping into fat supplies rather than me topping up the food all the time. Tomorrow it is 24 days to our wedding anniversary which will be the next time I slacken off and it is my new goal date – 16th April. Want to lose 3kgs by then. Also going to change my exercise routine. Instead of 4 x 30 mins of aerobics I am going to do 3 x 50 mins aerobics with muscle building – just things like leg lifts, crunches etc. Along with every other day arm weights and daily facial exercises. Wow, I am on a roll. Maybe it is the sunshine or the thought of getting to see my family fairly soon though dont know when.

Oh well, I have rabbited on for long enough. Enjoy a new week and all of you be kind to yourselves. Treat yourself like you would treat your best friend. Big hugs.

Riverrock that’s interesting you mention that, I knew about the gut biome benefits of kefir but it never really occurred to me about absorption. I have thought about introducing kefir in the past but I just don’t know if I could do it! I’m quite sensitive to taste and texture and I worry it’d taste slightly off? I don’t know I guess I sort of picture it a bit like yakult which I’ve always thought of as yuk-ult! What do people do with it too? Do people just chug it down or…..? Interested on anyone’s thoughts on kefir because I would like to try and introduce some more fermented stuff – I’ve tried with sauerkraut but I just can’t get past the ever so slightly off flavour, my body just says nope!

Sunshinegirl your meals sound nice today and healthy too! Good luck with your first day doing TRE tomorrow!

I have made and drunk milk kefir in the past, and use it as I would a thin drinking yoghurt, but sometimes it can taste a bit fizzy or funky if I’ve left it too long 🙂
I cannot drink Yakult, so I’m with you on that one.
But I think we have very different tastes, as I read with horror that you’d binned your carbonara as the pancetta was too smoky and the cheese was too funky – I hadn’t considered there was such a thing!

Which reminds me, shopping last week I picked up a large Reblochon cheese in a terracotta dish, marked down to £8, so it would have been rude not to buy it. It’s still in the bottom of my fridge, as we weren’t eating that just before a weigh-in day, so may have to have that for supper tomorrow night with some nice veggies – every time I open the fridge it reminds me of its presence 🙂

Haha sorry RubyG I’ll send one of the cats with it to you next time like a little carrier pigeon 😂

Just a quick dash back. Someone asked me what the supplement is that I started taking to reduce blood glucose. It was recommended by Dr Becky Gillaspy in one of her many blogs and it is called alpha-lipolic acid. It is supposed to be able to break down carbohydrates and that is how it reduces BG. The research says it is untested and here is a quute from a diet and nutrition site. It also helps in the production of insulin.

‘ALA and Diabetes
While studies are still sparse, there is some evidence that ALA may have at least two positive benefits for individuals with type 2 diabetes. A few studies have suggested that alpha-lipoic acid supplements may enhance the body’s ability to use its own insulin to lower blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes. ALA may help reduce the symptoms of peripheral neuropathy — nerve damage that can be caused by diabetes. In Europe, ALA has been used for years to provide relief from the pain, burning, tingling, and numbing caused by diabetic neuropathy.’

My experience is that there was a quick reduction in BG level within a few days and this seemed to be maintained but didnt drop any further so doesnt seem to continue to reduce BG but just help reduce it a bit. There are foods that contain alpha-lipoic acid like broccoli, spinach etc but there dont provide enough to make a difference to. I am just about to finish my 3 month supply and might stop to see if there is an increase in BG when I dont take it. Please do your own research and, if I can find it, I will post a link to the Dr Becky blog on the subject.

Just dropping in to say I make my own milk kefir, long fermented so that it’s thicker and often have it for lunch, mixing it with various things to vary the flavour.
SG sounds like you’re having a good day, happy birthday to your man and enjoy this evening.

Yes, enjoy the birthday dinner SG, I do enjoy a good confit duck!

Ok in the spirit of trying new things I’ve added a bottle of plain milk kefir to my shopping for next week……at least that’ll give me an idea of if I can actually do it before committing to buying the grains etc. and having kefir creatures lurking around my kitchen……the sauerkraut experiment nearly finished Craig off with jars of cabbage happily bubbling away, he might leave if I start introducing jars of fizzy milk into the house! Of course this is the same Craig who went through my cupboards when he moved in and threw out all of the (sealed and completely fine I hasten to add) canned veg etc. that was past it’s sell by date.

Sell by dates are a challenge in my world 🙂
I found an unopened Fage 5% yoghurt lurking at the back of my second fridge about 2 weeks ago – date was Nov 2020 – peeled the foil off and it was fine 🙂
My hubby is now used to various jars of ferments on the breakfast bar, including preserved lemons, sauerkraut, kimchi, and an awesome lemon achar recommended by MerryMelba on this site.

Hi everyone, I hope that you’re all well
Starting week 4 on 800 calories today and I’ve lost 11lbs all in all. Weight last week was very slow but I think that’s down to my gut having issues….I don’t think I need to add anything to that!
I too am feeling really tired and lethargic, so much so that on Thursday I finished work early and slept for 2 hours. I’m normally not a napper but it was obviously needed.
I’m a massive fan of kombucha but was worried about the sugar content (absolutely love the sour fizzy taste). Will it be okay do you think? I’m doing the Fast 800 solely to lose weight, no health issues such as hbp or diabetes.
Have a good week all
Nic

Hi again,
I have tried other fermented produce some off putting. Water kefir is meant to be fizzy/slightly sparkling and if you don,t like lemons for example I find a chopped up preserved fig and some pieces of orange give a nice flavour, although I do like it with lots of lemon too.
If you have a glass each morning for a couple of months that is enough to really help your system and then take a month off if you look after the grains they last a very long time. Yakult and milk kefir for example taste totally different to water kefir.

Hi 800 BSDers,
A week and a half into my second round of the 800 BSD. I know that people who have been on this forum for awhile have probably discussed this many times, but I don’t seem to have an answer. So here goes….. Being on this diet shows you that weight loss is anything but linear. I understand that the first week is getting rid of all the stuff stored in your liver and that includes lots of water which leads to massive weight loss. What I don’t understand are the plateaus that follow. On Sunday I weighed 81 kgs, Monday 80.8, Tuesday 80.8. I stated thinking I must bee eating too much or needed to exercise more, and the without changing a thing I was down to 79.9 this morning. Is this because of the Woosh effect that I have read about… is this real or is it something else.
Look forward to your feed back wise ones.

Samantha

Interesting Riverrock, definitely food for thought!

Smead I just want to add my sympathy – someone will be able to explain the science of plateaus to you, but I just want to say I’m with you – they suck – i plateau roughly every two to three weeks and it’s very frustrating!! But 30lb down in total since 29th Dec so it does happen! Keep going!

Lauren

Smead….. in the nicest possible way, a 1 day plateau is not a plateau 😛
Keep in mind 500 ml of water weighs 500g so the wee fluctuations you see (or dont see) day to day can juts be a reflection of food / water ‘in’ vs food / water out. Tracking daily is fascinating but try not to worry about the days theres no change etc. Plateaus can last a week or so, so dont worry about a day by day thing. Maybe try a weekly weigh in, time time of same day and use that as you ‘measure’ (even then it will not be linear), by all means weigh daily but dont get hung up on it. Keep on going!

All the talk of fermented stuff…. I’ve been googling and its a nope from me! Haha. Anything more foosty than yogurt or pickled onions is a step too far for me! haha. Fascinating thought!

I’m still struggling to find my groove – must get outside and walk in the evenings, been pretty tired this week which has made it not happen. So today i shall run at lunchtime, ride and hopefully walk after work! Can someone kick my butt and tell me i WILL feel better for getting fully back on track?!

Julz

Julz I am glad it’s not just me who is a bit ick about fermented foods!

YOU CAN DO THIS!!!!! As you all told me earlier in the week don’t beat yourself up, recognise small progresses, and take things one meal at a time – have you thought about planning some super delicious (but on plan) meals to look forward to? Or trying some new recipes or even just new ingredients? You’ve got this!

Thanks Lauren, I think you are spot on, Ok, so i have just gone and looked for some different recipes and written a plan for the next 10 days. I think its what i needed.
I think monotony of life, including food choices, has just got to me a bit, hopefully this can perk me up!! Keep just aimlessly wondering around the kitchen looking for excuses to eat something boring and pointless!
Planning a little lunchtime run before popping into work for the afternoon, then riding, then dinner, then a wee walk…. that should keep me on track.
Feel better already!

Happy new week all – feels like ity’s back to winter here in SW Scotland but I’ll brave the cold for a bit of a walk at lunchtime!
Thanks for the new post Wendy

SunnyB – I’m sure you’re still keeping an eye but take the brething space and remember you aren’t alone 🙂

SG – keep us updated on the TRE. I’ve been doing TRE since starting the BSD and I’ve found it a great way to stop me snacking in the evening. Although I still feel hungry every night even 10 weeks on but I just fill up on water.

Lauren – Glad you are feeling more upbeat. You have got this 🙂

I just had a lovely bowl of yoghurt and strawberries for breakfast (had planned on raspberries but Morrisons substituted but the strawbs were a nice change).
Anyone else have bizarre cravings on the BSD? I’m halfway through week 10 and in the early weeks I was still craving all the bad things (and let’s be honest, I’d still love a sugary treat or a bag of chips….) but for the last 3 days I’ve been crazing a big cold glass of milk! I’ve been trying to make do with a splash in my tea but it just isn’t cutting the mustard!

Also, has anyone tried Celeraic chips? I saw a ‘recipe’ in a Diabetic article in the paper the other week and I’m slightly tempted to give it a try but it may make me crave the real thing!
I’ve also had to cave in and buy new jeans. I was wanting to wait until I hit my target weight but I had to literally hold my jeans up walking to the shop for the essential tea bags the other day. It wasn’t a good look.

Oh no, just done a rather long message and somehow deleted it. Thats what I get for doing 2 things at the same time. Just reading a text from the hospital reminding me about my appointment tomorrow. Came off it and then pressed the wrong button on here.

Scott, I had strawberries and yoghurt for breakfast. They used to be my treat when I was ill as a child, always made me feel pampered. I would like to suggest that your craving for a glass of milk might be your body flagging up a deficiency i.e. calcium. It happens with pregnant women and is called pica – google it. You should have a glass of milk, you might find it just hits the spot and the craving will be gone or you might even find it isnt what you wanted after all. Anyway, it is hardly chocolate cake and cant do too much harm as long as you fit it into you calories (or even go over a smidge).

On the subject of the alpha lipoic acid. If you go onto YouTube and type in DR BECKY GILLASPY AND ALPHA LIPOIC ACID, it will come up with her blog. She does start of my saying not to confuse it with ALA omega 3 fatty acid. This blog is to be with weight loss and fat burning although there is another one about alpha …. and diabetes but I just cant find it right now.

I will go now before I accidently delete this. Have a good day everyone.

Hi everyone !

Hope you had a lovely birthday time with hubby SG and wishing you all the very best for your TRE experiments . As you say you know your body and you are safe at home in case you have an adverse reaction .

I am a fermenting fan too . Never gone as far as kimchi ( I can get Korean kimchi in the Chinese supermarket here ) but love experimenting with other veggies . Yes, Merry’s lemon achard is very good . Love kefir and kombucha too .

Ruby I can smell your Reblochon from down here …. You are a brave lady ! My hubby likes ripe Camembert called Le Rustique here and it is very pongy . I’m a pecorino girl myself .

Smead, don’t worry ! I think plateaus normally occur around week 3 or 4 . Don’t panic, just keep going and don’t be disappointed . You are discarding weight … allow it a bit more time and believe !

Julz you have an amazing exercise routine and you are working too so don’t be too down on yourself .You WILL get back into the swing of things . I sense you get into the groove and then you have a bit of a self sabotaging spell ??? I don’t doubt you will be back on track very soon . I understand about needing to find new recipes . That is a motivating tool for me and then planning for a week makes me feel I am ‘in control’ and I leave the nuts alone !! I have been mixing up my OMAD and fasting to change things up a bit this week .

Hi Scott ! Ooh no I have never craved a glass of milk . I couldn’t even face it when we were given little bottles of milk in primary school . Yes, I am THAT old !!! I would need to disguise the taste somehow . Hemp milk or almond milk I enjoy . Celeriac chips go down quite well here but it is hard to get them really crispy . I like a few kale or nettle crisps though !
Good on you buying new jeans . That could have been an embarrassing moment at the corner shop !;-)

Hi Nic, your results are great and you were right to listen to your body telling you it needed a rest . That’s ok .

Talk of kombucha made me think of a popular Spring time detox potion/ drink here in France called sève de bouleau or birch sap .People do a ‘cure’ between March and April, and it is claimed to be full of all sorts of goodness .

Lauren, glad to hear you are feeling better ! We would miss you if you left us !

Hi Britta ! I like the sound of your spinach side dish . I often add a dollop of crème fraïche as I don’t often have cream cheese handy . I like the idea of adding mustard too so will definitely try that . Glad you have got your mojo back again ! ( I’m prepared to overlook the biscuits;-);-) )

Riverrock you narrowly missed being on the list for this week but you are there now ! Welcome to our happy thread ! All the verry best to you . That makes three of us in France on the thread now . Whereabouts are you ? I am in the South West in the Tarn department about 50 kms from Toulouse. I have lived in France for 30 years .

Sending lots of love to everyone . We are having some glorious sunny days here which is just fab

I’d like to present a little story, a vignette if you will.

One day, Lauren and Craig were sitting in their mini house eating a delicious chicken and bacon salad that Lauren had painstakingly curated (read – tipped some lettuce out of a bag and added some chopped “stuff”). At the end of the delicious salad Lauren’s plate was clear, but Craig’s had some slices of tomato left. “Why have you left your tomatoes?” Lauren exclaimed! “Well really I prefer cherry tomatoes” said a sheepish Craig (who has been engaged to Lauren for 2 years and lived here for nearly 2 years and never once mentioned this despite Lauren serving tomatoes roughly 18 times a day). “Oh” said Lauren, “sorry”.

One week later Lauren went shopping and picked out the sweetest juiciest cherry tomatoes she could find ready for a lovely salad to accompany a delicious burger that night. She lovingly crafted a salad, chopped everything carefully and drizzled the lovely tomatoes with balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. The pair tucked into their meal with gusto, and once again Lauren’s plate was clear, but lo, Craigs was covered in teeny tiny beautifully chopped tomatoes. “Why have you left your tomatoes!?” Said Lauren. “Well I prefer lettuce really and I was full” said Craig.

Aaaaaghhhhhhh!!

In other news I’ve recently rediscovered cottage cheese and am eating the full fat – I think I may be addicted, should I be worried?!

L x

Hi Smead01

The reading on the scale is made up of many aspects. We are encouraged to drink 2 litres of water a day, each litre -= 1 kg. So depending where you are in your water in / out cycle that could be a big fluctuation. – Then it also includes the weight of everything in your digestive tract, 800 calories of celery weighs much more than 800 calories of cheese.

When our insulin levels are high it blocks a number of hormone regulation systems from working not just that of if you are in fat burning mode or burning sugars for fuel. One of the systems is the system for repairing the body, the hormone system responsible for building stronger bones as well as muscle in response to activity. Healthy bones weigh more than frail ones.

No one really knows what causes the whoosh effect, you will find articles online about the idea that the body replaces the fat as its burnt from fat cells with water, and then when the cell is completely empty of fat the water is released and the cell collapses. That was just a suggestion made by a professor to explain the drops in weight in steps along with the fluid release. Its since been disproved.

Muscle takes up less space than fat, so if you are discarding fat but increasing muscle you would stay the same.

Look for changes in inches, not just the obvious locations but also collar bones emerging and shoe size dropping. But don’t forget its really difficult to measure waist or hip in exactly the same location a couple of days apart. That;s why clothes fit is a good indicator.of progress.

Lauren, I shared your vignette with my hubby, as I was chuckling to myself on the couch while he was watching TV – his response was he eats everything on his plate as he’s just so grateful he’s actually getting any food!
We’ll be having boiled egg and salad for lunch today, with cherry tomatoes 🙂

RubyG Craig is such a weird fish, he’s one of those people who “eats to live” and doesn’t “live to eat”. When I first met him I asked him what he likes to eat because I like cooking and feeding people – his response “chicken, bacon and cheese”. I’ve expanded his horizons somewhat in four years!!

Whenever I ask him what he fancies for dinner, he says “chicken dippers” – I’ve never had chicken dippers in my freezer in my life so I have no idea why he thinks this is a viable suggestion!

Of course this is the same man who a few months ago went to make a sandwich and chose to open the pack of turkey BACON (which clearly says it’s bacon on the pack) and whack that in a sandwich raw. Because he thought it was ham. I said was it not super squishy when you ate it?? He said, well it was a bit weird but I was hungry. Then a couple of weeks ago there was a pack of Serrano ham that id bought for salad, wrapping round chicken etc. He ignored the pack of normal ham and made a sandwich with the Serrano, I nearly killed him when I went to make dinner! So this week when the shopping arrived with a pack of turkey bacon and a pack of pancetta I did a visual tutorial – I said “here is the pack of pancetta, it is for cooking and not for sandwiches. Here is the pack of turkey bacon, it can be used for sandwiches but is raw and needs to be cooked”. His response was “so the thing that looks like bacon (pancetta) isn’t, and the thing that looks like ham (turkey bacon) is bacon? Right got it”

L x

Hi nicnocgee,

When we eat a carb high diet our body needs to store water to process the carbs. When we go low carb there is an initial discard of that stored water which causes a higher weight loss at the start.

To get back the the tiredness. = Processed food has a lot of salt in it, and its easy to forget to add salt to our meals when we prepare them. Salt has also been given a reputation as being bad for us but we need adequate salt levels for energy. – Another name for salt is electrolytes.

When our body is releasing the stored water, our kidneys include electrolytes in the water. – So at the outset we can feel tired, its often known as keto flu. Its due to low electrolytes, increasing salt intake solves it.

Each lb of fat on your body is 3500 worth of calories. to help you plan and think about how the scales will change over time. But measuring progress by the scales alone is really not a good idea, as I have already recently summarised for another forum member.

Thanks JGwen, I am happy with how things are going overall and am 0.3 lbs off getting into the next stone bracket and will then have lost nearly 2 stone since beginning of Feb this year (started Fast 800 at beginning of March).
Thanks for the tip about salt, I will plan to do that now, as well as adding a bit more fat into my diet. I suppose years of “low fat diets” are still embedded in my brain.

Ha ha Lauren, I’ve been with my now husband for 10 years and it was only last month that he told me he didn’t like sweetcorn! I hear you 🙂

Does anyone use the shakes? I find them easy to have at lunch as I’m doing TRE but a little sweet (yes my unhelpful food habits are definitely in the french bread/pate/cheese/crisps and wine categories). I seriously think I would struggle if I lived in France Wendleg…..

Here’s wishing you all a good week and good health.

BW
Nic

Lauren, your stories of Craig make me smile. My hubby is the reason we started on this way of eating, so now he is no longer allowed to forage for food in the kitchen 🙂 He has no concept of the cumulative effects of 1 slice of cheese, 1 spoon of peanut butter, 1 ramekin of Greek yoghurt, 1 handful of nuts, 1 square of chocolate – that’s probably his 800cals right there!

I am dreading the scales tomorrow, I have fallen foul of some of the abovementioned snacks this week, and haven’t tracked anything we’ve eaten, although I have kept low carb and tried to manage portion sizes.

Like nicnocgee, I also have a more savoury palate, but while I am eating more cheese than I ever did on WW, I haven’t had a crisp since 24th Oct 2020 (2 days before starting this WOE).

I have decided we’ll have the Reblochon for supper either tomorrow or Saturday, with some fresh dipping veggie bits and a salad – hubby suggested crispy bacon bits would be nice! Yes, they would indeed, but I’m not sure how that helps on the calorie front 🙂

For those in the UK, Great British Menu started again last night (one of my favourite cooking programs), and it cost me money! They used something they called “air-bag” – a dried pork rind product which you can use as a crumbly coating, fry for texture, etc. The one I bought seems to be Spanish, and was delivered today. I’m going to have a go on the weekend, we can maybe have “breaded” prawns or make our own scampi, all low carb! I’ll let you know how it turns out.

Nearly weekend everyone!

Hi everyone, second jabs done and dusted and so far we are feeling fine.

nicnocgg and florob, I think I can beat that. I have been married for 28 years next month and together for 33. Every Sunday we have an English mixed grill for breakfast and we always have tinned tomatoes. I like them for the sweetness and they are fairly low calories rather than baked beans. I guess you know what is coming. Last year him indoors told me he doesnt like canned tomatoes and never has. What is wrong with these men, are are we so intimidating that they dare not say anything. I think it is when we first get together and we start cooking they smile and nod at everything we cook and then after a few years it is too late to come out with the truth. So it is like when they say they love all your favourite music and years later tell you they hate ABBA (or whoever). I now buy fresh for him and cut them up and grill them and I still open a can for me. I use what is left in my Monday mince meal (lasagne, bolognaise etc) as he doesnt mind them used in cooking.

Did 13 hours TRE last night as I stopped at 9.30 and then didnt get around to breakfast until 10.30. Tonight it will be 8.30 to 8.30 as we have the hairdressers in the morning. Have a good evening.

Sunshinegirl and nicnocgee aren’t men funny creatures! RubyG oh my goodness Craig and the foraging!! Can’t wait till he goes back to the office, we’ll save a fortune on food!! Looking like I’m going to be mostly working from home for the foreseeable, sigh!

S-g well done on your TRE so far, how are you finding it?

I’ve now received all my veg seeds for the year. I think I went a bit overboard 😂😂 – our garden is literally 4m by 5m (we live in a mini house for dolls) and I’ve got a small greenhouse and a 2m x 1m raised bed and a billion pots, I’ve bought courgette, broccoli, cabbage, runner bean, peas, Brussels sprouts, spring onions, shallots, red and brown onions, raspberries and strawberries and leeks and chilli and peppers, oh and carrots 😂😂

I’ve had a sort of NSV today although it’s an annoying one. I hadn’t been wearing my engagement ring much the last year because it just seems a bit pointless bumbling round the house just me, the boy and the cats, but I decided to wear it today and a) remembered how much I love it – it’s a vintage style white gold band with a pale blue sapphire with marquise diamonds either side – but also b) it’s now defo too big so I’ve obviously lost weight on my fingers but also will now have to pay to have it adjusted. I tried my wedding band too and that’s too big so I’ll have to get that adjusted before the wedding next year, but I also remembered how beautiful my wedding band is. I designed it with a jeweller and it’s white gold, with marquise diamonds arranged in a crown (like a tiara shape) that fits exactly to my engagement ring, can’t wait to wear it.

Hope all have had a good day

L x

Oh PS RubyG, I’m all about the pancetta instead of bacon! I buy the sliced stuff and fry it in a dry pan to make it crispy then chop it up – might work for your “chopped bacon bits” with your cheese – the stuff I buy (Tesco finest) is only 40 cal per slice and even one would go a fairly long way and give that bacony flavour without the calories of bacon, I love Great British Menu too and Masterchef and they are both on at the moment.

Hi all, just logging in about my TRE. 13 hours Wednesday night/morning. 13 hours yesterday. Ate a good meal around 7.30 to 8 pm and then forgot about it – nice not to be thinking about food. When I realised I had left it too late for a snack so went through to morning but had to have early breakfast as I was going to the hairdressers for 9.30 so had breakfast between 8.30 and 9am. Must say I did start to feel hungry but, as someone else said recently, I had forgotten what that feels like as I am always topping up (within calories). Can report I have lost my first kg since Wednesday so not going to mess it up over the weekend. Said that so many times but really mean it this time.

I remember the day when I started this diet in 2016 was the same day daughter went through a terrible house moving ordeal (the people she was buying from had forgotten to move out) and she was sat outside their house in the removal van. She finally got into the house at 9pm and hubby went and popped a bottle of champage AND I REFUSED IT. I couldnt understand why he would think I would cheat on day one. Throughout the 8 weeks on plan I never had over 800/850, never ate a white carb and never had an alcoholic drink even though we went out for meals several times. And it worked, so why cant I have that same determination now for just a few weeks. I am sure I can.

Everyone seems to be either getting back on track or accepting things as they are. Be kind to yourselves – big hugs.

Wow sunshinegirl sounds like you’re super motivated and getting into the swing of TRE!

I’m feeling utter mega pants today, mega run down and fluey so I’m listening to my body and resting, spent most of the day wrapped in a blanket dozing and answering emails (goodness only knows what nonsense I’ve sent today) and plan to spend the weekend crafting as I received a new felting book today.

Hope all have had a nice week and have a nice weekend planned

L x

Hi all,
I haven,t quite got the hang of how to come back and reply to the most recent posts.
Anyway, my first week and ………..lost 3lbs at least 14 more to go but haven,t found it hard this week but have been on my own which I always find easier, up with the family {my only bubble…daughter n son in law and wonderful little grand daughter and my son and his girlfriend} when I cook for the family I tend to eat the same! Have counted calories all week and not felt hungry, I start the day with a glass of my water kefir, have only felt the need for a yoghurt for breakfast twice. Today…I always have wine on Friday, so had kefir and a yoghurt for breakfast, for lunch a small lamb cutlet, cauliflower, carrots, and some kale. Dinner, fresh goats cheese, lettuce, tomato, a small sprinkle of pine nuts, this left enough calories for a couple of glasses of red wine and 2 squares of dark chocolate, so really a lovely day. I have been in quite severe pain with my neck and back but decided this week just to move anyway, did a ‘fast walk’ of just 20 mins most days and a 5.5 kms on Wednesday, that,s when I walk my daughters dog…….So….hung up a lovely little skirt I bought last year, very simple brown with white flowers button front, was too small but I liked it so much I kept it! I had to wear something loose and leave a couple of buttons open! I have hung it up where I can see it and my goal is to wear it properly buttoned up and comfortable!! It,s not just about looks but how we look affects how we feel and the more confident we are the more we are able to give to ourselves and others………………………just a few thoughts…………………………I am really missing family I haven,t been able to see since the pandemic began, I am trying to be positive and have goals………….think about LIFE AFTER COVID… I started a list with my little grand daughter of things to do after covid….Swim and snorkel on our favourite beach, Have a picnic with the whole family at the beach, Wear lovely dresses and visit a restaurant, HUG EVERYBODY………………………………………Stay strong stay safe and let,s do our best to be healthy for ourselves, our kids and their kids too……………………………………..

Hi everyone,
Nice to hear that first week has gone so well for you Riverrock, expect for neck and back pain. Well done for the weight loss and walking. 👍 Great idea to hang up a goal clothes item for extra motivation. (I have the whole wardrobe to hang up because nothing fits any more! 🥴😂)
Anyhoo, my result after week 2: -1.2kg Weight today: 106.9 kg Total loss since beginning: -5.1 kg. So it has slowed right down, but still brisk, just like the book says. I’m happy with that and as long as keep losing something. I now feel optimistic about reaching 100kg by summer.
Hubby’s crisps and chocolates are still here, it takes him 2 weeks or more to finish a bag /big bar. It has been hard cause the temptation is always in the house, but I’ve managed to resist so far. 😌 Hope I will be able to stay within calories the whole week 3 (Sat-Sat) and then we’ll enjoy a nice meal on Easter Sunday 🍷😋.
Wishing you all a very happy weekend! 🙂

Hi everyone, day 3 of myTRE. Lost 1.3kgs since Wednesday. Did 14 hours yesterday and was very hungry in the evening, even to being a bit shakey but I did my routine of ‘I am home, I am safe, I know where the food is if I really need it’, Wasnt sure I wouldnt wake up in the middle of the night sweating and shaking but, hey ho, I am fine and there is always a glucose sachet in the bedside draw. Even lasted to 10 am for breakfast of strawberries and yoghurt with a sprinkle of almond flakes. Added the almonds because my calculations for cals yesterday came to 670. This included a chicken thigh snack in the afternoon and finally counting the milk in my 2 coffees. I still had spare for my 10g square of very dark chocolate and still came in at well under the 800 although carbs were 57g. Must have been the 4 little oven chips I nicked from hubbys plate. Today so far I have had around 300 cals and 8 g carbs and will be having a beef stew for dinner with things like celery, onions, red pepper, leek, just more veg and my daily total (including my chocolate) will be 600 and 14 carbs. Must watch that as I am not trying to go under the 800, seems my evening snacks were around 150 cals. So my verdict so far. Yes I am hungry in the late evening, no I wont collapse and I can easily do 14 hours. Seems part of the success of this is that I cut out around 150 cals in the evening along with the fat burning theory. Will continue while it seems to be working better than just lowering calories.

If I am doing anything wrong you can shout out as I have never attempted this before. Any tips welcome. Enjoy the weekend, set for super weather from tomorrow – also in the UK.