Hi Rosie,
I wish I could join you for lunch, sounds absolutely delicious!
Have a great day!

Hello all, after a bumper week my weight loss is slowing down this week. It’s that time of the month so I’m not going to worry about it too much until next week or so. I did measure my waist and I lost about 4 centimetres recently (I didn’t take measures when I started!). I know waist size is a major health indicator so that’s great news. Although work is very busy, I don’t have as many meetings as usual over the next couple of days, so it feels more relaxed now – plus time to go for walks!

Zuzu, congrats on your nonscales victory – that’s quite a big reduction on your waist measurement. I’m sure the scales will catch up once you get past this time of the month.

Hello everyone

My evenings have been taken up with watching the videos on the What We Crave ( the emotional eating summit) as they are only available for a short time. Last night I watched a very interesting presentation by Brittany Watkins about her Tapping technique and the conscious/sub conscious mind. She talked about traumatic and emotional events ( often long forgotten) which are revealed to be triggers for emotional eating and she explained how to get back in touch with that moment and deal with it with the tapping.It really was fascinating.

I see there are videos on Youtube and I found a few links in case you want to have a look
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQiBQQ2Cc5TCTP5Le9GlyGg

If you have a minute, take a look….I just think anything that helps with emotional eating is a bonus. There just might be something that resonates with you .

I have just caught up with all of the posts and I just want to tell you all NOT TO WORRY . There is an element of trial and error in finding what works best for each individual. Even if you are not seeing the magic numbers on the scales , that does not mean that you are not « succeeding » elsewhere. As several of you have said, just to be able to manage hunger without fear , to gradually see changes in your body and clothes ….not to mention the good you are doing to your gut and general health …they are all tremendous benefits ..so don’t panic.
I am pleased to see that noone stays discouraged for long. However disheartened you feel it’s uplifting to see that you just pick yourselves up and keep going. Cathy you really will get to where you want to be and it doesn’t matter if the date gets reviewed, you have a brilliant attitude. Articfox , so sorry you are having a tough time. Remember you have come a long way dealing with serious health issues so don’t be too hard on yourself. You definitely need to be respected with your allergies and it is totally unacceptable for your colleagues to be spraying toxic disinfectant around the place . I really feel for you right now..stress, inflammation, asthma, sore joints…it’s hardly surprising you feel down. You definitely need a break.

Quetzal ….a big hug coming your way .Anytime it all gets too much , just pop in here for a chat.You have all our support , you can be sure of that. You are one of us, on the list now !!
Thanks everyone (even if I haven’t named you all individually, you are all absolute STARS ) for the generosity and warmth which you show on the thread . It feels a very safe, comforting place to be and that is just what we need.
We will be able to look back on this time with pride, I feel sure of that
So we keep going ,right ?
Lots of love
Wendy xx

Morning lovely people!
I’m up early to plant my winter squashes and mark out the plot for my sweetcorn and orca beans, all high carb I’m thinking! Ha. I’m trying an American Indian technique called the 3 sisters. Hopefully by the time of harvest I will be able to enjoy some of the corn cobs here and there. The other veg can be stored for winter.
Ate a massive meal last night, a whole lamb shank and a bag of baby greens followed by yogurt, afew nuts and raisins (no need for pudding, PMT, me thinks). It felt uncomfortable afterwards and still does, won’t be doing that again! I am definitely used to smaller, lighter meals now.
Olive, there would have been plenty for you!!!
I’m going to try brunch and dinner today instead of 3 meals, see how that goes, give my system a bit of a break.
I’m finding this WOE so fascinating and have taken note on lots of your tips and ideas and ways of thinking. It seems to be a feel your way through and make adjustments kind of affair to me.
Have a good day, whatever your doing,
much love 🌹🍏

how?

Morning!
Fresh start this morning. I’ve realised I’ve become a bit complacent, started estimating rather than weighing, carbs crept up a fair bit…. and not much movement on the scales the last week or so. So its back to keeping properly track of things, weighing, keeping carbs low. I have 3 weeks and 3 days left of the 8 weeks (5:2 after that), need to make the most of it! Go me!
Have a good day everyone!

Go Britta! You can do this x

Thanks Rosy – as you say ‘feel your way and make adjustments’ is the way

Hi everyone
The online platform is quiet…phew ! It feels a bit less frantic and I wonder if it is because this is a long weekend in France ? Families travelling out and about. Can you believe we are almost at the end of May !! I do love this time of year though . Have a lovely gardening day Rosy ! Courgettes are beginning to appear here and we also have ‘aubergines baguettes’ which as their name suggests are long and skinny instead of the normal shape. Delicious grilled or roasted.
You are doing fine too Britta and it’ s good that you can recognise when you are guesstimating more. That’ s me too . I don’t always weigh and calculate carb content as I have got used to my type of foods but it is still easy to over eat ‘healthy’ foods such as nuts and yoghurt.
Wishing you all a great day , especially those who have been struggling lately.I hope with the easing of lock down restrictions you can get to see your loved ones ( Bryla ) and just get out of the house a bit ..but stay safe.
Bars , cafés , restaurants are reopening here from 2nd June and I may even be able to go back to my local pool for aquagym but waiting to see what arrangements are put in place.
Lots of love everyone

Hello everyone, the weather is amazing here too! It definitely too me a while to find a routine with this diet, although having done 5:2 before has helped. I’m in Week 7 now and I find it easier to fit my meals in 800 calories, particularly with a vegetable-dominated lunch (soup or salad). I’m also continuing with the plank challenge, focusing on doing it the right way for a certain amount of time rather than racing ahead – I’m more interested in building my strength than setting a time record. A one-minute plank feels more comfortable now so that I can focus on using the right muscle groups (core and upper body).

Hi! I have accidentally done a 17+ hour fast, the morning ran away with me, queues everywhere in town! Feels ok, got a few tummy rumbles a couple of hours ago but no lightheadedness that I would have experienced on the carbs. It’s given my system to use up that lamb shank too!! 🌹🍏

Hi Folks,

I do not want to confuse the newcomers who are starting on this path, so if you fall into this category then please close your eyes to the following link.

For the benefit of those who have been on this path for some time and are looking at working at a fine detail on shaving off a few carbs here and there or have have reached a stall, ie CC, and Articfox in particular. You may find this article helpful.
https://thefastingmethod.com/insulin-index/

That’s great, Rosyapple. Something similar happened to me recently. I was busy with work, exercise, going for a walk and I forgot to have lunch. I didn’t feel particularly hungry until dinner.

I’m still ticking away. Had a couple of days where Ive had one meal a day, did a long fast on Wednesday which was kinda nice in its own way. There are times where Im still very fixated on food and I’m still trying to over come that, but having a plan really helps me.
Its weighing in day for me tomorrow morning, fingers crossed.
I’ve just had my second meal today so will fast no til then and treat myself to a saturday breakfast.
I have promised myself i will not drink this weekend, sorry dad, he does like to fill us with wine on a saturday evening, but i know my will power fails if i have a couple of glasses of win or a couple of gins, so I’m going to give it a miss.
Saturday night meal is roast beef, I’ll have a load of veggies and the boys will have potatoes and yorkies. Other than that I’m all about the salad or omelettes these days.
Oh and I’ve completed my little mission for May – I have walked / run 202km, all logged on Strava and all up and down the same 3km road with a couple of small deviations of route! June will be strength and tone month!
Hope everyone is having a good friday.

I can’t seem to shake the feeling of impending diet failure. I think that because my stall in progress has happened at the very weight i can never seem to get past, I’ve subconsciously accepted that it’s happened again and that’s the end of that. I’m trying to stay positive and motivated but I’ve been at a similar point many times before – it’s like weight-loss bloody trauma with the major casualty being self belief. Taking inspiration from earlier in the week and have listed all the non-scale reasons i am grateful for from the BSD and this WOL. There are so many! My top NSV has been self confidence. Because i’ve tried and failed at losing weight many times, it became this immovable feat. It stung so much every time because being healthy is something i really care about. And if I can’t succeed at something that i care so much about, can i ever succeed at other things? This time has been different – the BSD took that away. Failure hasn’t felt inevitable. I have felt more empowered and in control than i have in the longest time. I am trying new things, thinking about new careers, exercising, creating delicious recipes – and all this because I want to (not just forcing myself because i want to want to). I think what this all boils down to is that I am scared I am losing that now. Maybe if i read my list like a mantra, it’ll sink in? Apologies for the long, slightly negative spiel – trying to shift the thoughts out of my brain and into writing (permanently please). If you have a surplus of willpower, please send some my way 🙂

EachPeach, apologies I’m not sure how many weeks in to the BSD you are. Normally stalls are temporary, pass quite quickly and often they due to the body making another adjustment and once done, ths pounds begin to drop again. However, I can appreciate you feeling that it’s a repeat of a pattern you have seen before, making it hard to think that there will be a positive outcome this time round.

Try not to let this derail you though, because if you can hang in there, I’m confident you will see good results again soon. Keep doing what you’ve been doing, it’s been working to date and I’m confident it will again.

EachPeach.. I think I know what you are feeling.. I have had a similar feeling myself and all it leads to is a vicious cycle of gains and losses! I’ve lost the same weight several times and get to a threshold number, I hit a bit of a diversion onto the scenic route and don’t see the numbers I expected to see Or thought I had earned on the scales and start to self-defeat…Negative self talk and emotions kick in.. but PLEASE hang in there .. as I mentioned earlier in the week ..so many times I have been SO CLOSE and I’m sure you are too!
“Most great people have attained their greatest success just one step beyond their greatest failure.” Napoleon Hill
One more step and you will blow that threshold out of the water! Hang in there, dig deep, you can do it!!! This time next week I’m sure we’ll all be celebrating your new ‘lowest number’ on the scales! GreenGal 🥦

Thanks for the encouragement, Wendy. I have a much needed day off work today, so I am breathing easier. I had a bit of a lie in as I was really very tired, and have been buzzing around tidying my place as I may get viewings over the weekend.
JGwen – thanks for the article. I have been eating a lot more dairy and eggs lately to try to get my protein up for sateity. This was because I was feeling hungry a lot, and my attempt at going down to 800 cal was a failure because I was just so hungry. With the higher protein, I was able to get down to around 1000 cal and not feel hungry. I still have lots of eggs (picked up 2 dozen the other day at the egg vending machine!), but am getting low on dairy, so I may just decide not to stock up this week and see how things go. I have been thinking for quite a while now that I am highly insulin resistant, even though my blood sugar is normal, just because I know I do have a huge insulin response when I eat white carbs in particular, and that is what causes me to go hypoglycemic after eating these foods. Also, I spent so many of my athletic years doing what the sports nutritionists told me to do which was to eat lots of carbs and to eat 5-6 meals per day. One reason why I have taken up jogging and HIIT again is to try to decrease insulin resistance in my muscles. I’m just not yet fit and strong enough to push really hard, but I am getting there.
I was experimenting with a more consistent and earlier wake up time this week in order to try to force myself to get tired more quickly in the evenings and to get to bed earlier. It seems to be working, so I will keep pushing on that. I went back on my iron supplement yesterday morning and I was so amazed at how much better my brain was functioning at work. I did have to have some food with it though as I can’t take it on an empty stomach, and it was the first time I had had breakfast before work in ages. Usually if I have it, I have it on my morning break so between 10 and 11am. As I start waking up earlier, I think I will shift my exercise to the morning. Exercise in a fasted state, then have breakfast and lunch and maybe start to skip dinner instead of breakfast. This stall definitely seems to mean that it is time to shift what I have been doing in a dramatic way.
WindyJulz – well done with your km’s for May. That is a great accomplishment. I have been using a 1km track around the local park for my runs, so that might be an idea for me to try as well, to set a goal for June and see what I can do.
KOKO everyone. We’ll get there.

SunnyB – I’m just at the end of week 5. Thank you, i WILL hang on in there – i think i might be even more stubborn than i am greedy haha.

GreenGal – Thank you for your encouragement and lovely quote! You’re absolutely right, it will be so worth it to get past this hurdle 🙂 I will take your advice and dig really deep so i can see that new lowest number at some point next week. In fact, I’m going to make that a new mini goal 🙂

Each Peach, you’ve got this. I’ll join you for a stubborn last few days of week 5. I have been a bit complacent and not lost anything for almost a week, but I’m on it, I will turn this week into a success if it kills me (well not literally)! I had a few hours of feeling sorry for myself, but then the stubbornness kicked in and I am now planning and weighing and calculating the h… out of this weekend! 800 calories, no more than 20g of carbs – I will not be defeated this time and neither will you!

Yes, Britta! Love your determination. I will join you in the avid planning and firmly stick with under 20g of carbs. Looking forward to hearing of your fantastic week six success 🙂

EachPeach I’m toward the end of week 5 also and I’ve been wobbly and fairly close to thinking i just can’t do it. I am digging deep and telling myself 8 weeks is a minimum and 12 is the plan and I WILL complete that.
I know it’s a lifestyle change and not temporary but I need to get over this wee brain issue and go little bit at a time.
Getting lean and healthy takes a lot of time and requires us to not eat a lot of things….. I counted up all the things I’ve not had on lockdown, having seen Facebook photos of folk having them regularly – no cider, no cake, no chocolate, no tray bakes, no scones, no chips, no bread, no pasta, no potatoes….. it’s a big list and in reading it I see all the ‘treats I like’ and realise I don’t even want them. All I really want is a little bit more of the same good stuff I’m eating.
Long story for no reason other than sharing my thoughts, but nearly have way through the hardcore 800 calories phase. Come on gals, we got this.

Good morning!
EachPeach, I feel for you. I too have had a similar experience recently, battling with self belief at reaching a threshold that I’ve repeatedly not been able to push through, YET.
I don’t know if it’s something to do with being used to being overweight, which I have been to one degree or another all my life and having no reference point as such to work towards. I find it difficult to visualise a new me.
I think the best we can do is challenge our beliefs and push on with the good work and do our best to accept the changes as they occur. Blind faith?
We can do this!
I too am in week 5 and I’ve had brilliant results even though I’m feeling my way through this. Next week I am going to do a full week on 800cals. I’ve honed my menu to yogurt, fruit and nuts for breakfast, eggs and salad for lunch and meat or fish and vegetables for dinner….with olive oil and butter and herbs and spices etc to make it interesting. I am ready for this. I AM!
I’m at a point now where I’m used to smaller meals and wondering how, when the time comes, I will be able to eat bigger quantities. But that is not for me to worry about just yet! My mind doesn’t work overtime at all !!!
Wishing you all success x 🌹🍏

Hey all .. you are such an inspiring lot!!! I am inspired by the efforts to double down on the cals and the carbs everyone.. well done.. I am also in need of addressing carb/cal creep now as although I’m in the early stages of resuming the plan, I have done it before and it’s easy to under estimate .. so I am going to make an extra effort over the weekend and next week I am going to pledge to record and post my cals/carbs and protein if poss on my profile from Tuesday when the new thread begins ..seeing it there in black and white will help I think! Have a beautiful sunny Saturday! GreenGal 🥦

Rosyapple, I’ve noticed the effect of the diet on my appetite too. When I used to do 5:2 for about a year altogether, it reduced my appetite for a long time even after I stopped doing 5:2. I noticed this with things I eat regularly, but after a year or two I started eating more again. I remember reading somewhere that this has to do with better insulin resistance. Although I’m not diabetic, it’s interesting to see that this works for some of us.

Hello everyone, after a few hard days I’m very happy to report I have lost 25 pounds in 5 weeks. Getting into a rhythm now and not finding it so hard ! Does anyone have any advice for after the 8 weeks? I’m not sure I want to continue being quite so restricted.

Thanks and good luck to everyone on their journey xx

Yes….keep going whatever the barriers that seem to be in the way right now. The hardest one seems to be believing in our own ability to succeed. We are our worst enemies at times.
I understand what you mean by visualising the new you, Rosy. Remember you have done so well dealing with past, negative experiences and this is the new you right now ! There will come a day when you realise your clothes are too big, you need to downsize and you are proud of yourself. You will !
Greengal we wll keep you accountable !! That was a great motivational message to EachPeach !
Britta, we are with you too !
I am impressed with your plank challenge,zuzuvela ! I started back to yoga ( one to one) this week and have lost so much strength so my plank resistence is pitiful
Wow Julz !! 202km !!! Very very impressed ! I hope you managed the Saturday evening drinks. Surely one drink wouldn’t do too much damage …or do you start snacking when you have a glass of wine ??
I do worry about the people who come on to the forum full of enthusiasm and then for whatever reason drift away and stop posting . The ones who stay are the ones who refuse to give in to self doubt , who are commited and get back on to it after a blip . Ultimately they know that this way of eating works, that it promotes great health and well being and an end to years of yo you dieting and negative self image. But you have to put the work in, it’s like everything in life. It’ s a massive learning curve but the greatest thing is what you learn about yourself !!
SO just keep going ..stay strong
One slower week does not mean failure. Nothing is going wrong, it’s a natural pattern.
As WindyJulz says, it most definitely is a life style change.

Plumpgoose, that’s a brilliant result ! I think that if you are happy with your achievement after 8 weeks, then yes you can be less restrictive. I think it will mean some trial and error though. I am certainly not as strict now with the counting of carb and cals but I am still quite rigid in terms of food choices. I might have bigger portions but they would be my BSD foods . Being less strict for me doesn’t mean re introducing bread, rice, pasta etc..they have gone for good.It does mean a bit more fruit than I allowed in the 8 week. My tastes have changed for good. I crave green veg and fresh lettuce and salads these days .

It depends how you feel about your foods , do you miss certain foods Plumpgoose ?.Are those high carb foods ? Or do you just want to increase your calories ? You could consider transitioning to a 5 :2 type programme . ? What I do is to include some fasting periods in my week ( they don’t have to be extended fasts) I would be wary of re introducing too many carbs …because it wouldn’t work for me but you need to see what suits you

Articfox, I am glad you are feeling better and more rested. Your determination never to give up, to constantly question, test and experiment to see what works for you is truly inspiring. I am wishing the very best for you too..you deserve it.
Have a great Sunday everyone. I can’ t believe how these weeks are just racing by… !!
Take care everyone and believe in yourselves !!!

Plumpgoose, that’s a brilliant result ! I think that if you are happy with your achievement after 8 weeks, then yes you can be less restrictive. I think it will mean some trial and error though. I am certainly not as strict now with the counting of carb and cals but I am still quite rigid in terms of food choices. I might have bigger portions but they would be my BSD foods . Being less strict for me doesn’t mean re introducing bread, rice, pasta etc..they have gone for good.It does mean a bit more fruit than I allowed in the 8 week. My tastes have changed for good. I crave green veg and fresh lettuce and salads these days .

It depends how you feel about your foods , do you miss certain foods Plumpgoose ?.Are those high carb foods ? Or do you just want to increase your calories ? You could consider transitioning to a 5 :2 type programme . ? What I do is to include some fasting periods in my week ( they don’t have to be extended fasts) I would be wary of re introducing too many carbs …because it wouldn’t work for me but you need to see what suits you

Thanks so much for all your advice. I may have a couple of days off and restart 8 weeks again. Presumably you can go back into ketosis? So grateful to all the posters on here with advice and encouragement.

WindyJulz + RosyApple, thanks for sharing your similar experiences – so inspiring to hear them followed by so many ‘WILLS’ and ‘CANS’! It’s really interesting to hear the different aspects of change we each struggle with. Looking forward to our collective success in the next few weeks!

GreenGal, I see your pledge and i’m here for it 🙂

PlumpGoose, congrats on such a fantastic result!

Well I’ve made it through Saturday evening with no alcohol, chuffed with that. Thanks for asking Wendy – it’s that it leads to not caring about food choices and so much bad snacking. I’ve definitely had way too many calories today, but all BSD friendly – worst thing I’ve had is 2 apples (this pushes my carbs over but I’m not going to beat myself up for 2 apples.)
I definitely don’t want bad good anymore, I’m just struggling with the calories a bit. But I know I can do 800 6 date a week and that being this restrictive is not forever. I too crave salad and broccoli. And a real treat seems to be an apple or a handful of raisins and these are reserved for saturdays.
Oh weighed in 11st 8 (and a wee bit) so 1.5lbs down this week. Although I’d have loved it to be 3 I think I can cope with slower loss as it’s been a hard week or 2. If I keep chipping away I will reach goal. Please don’t let me forget this – there are times where I feel it’s all too hard and I’m tempted to Jack it in; but I know this is for me, my health and my long term happiness. It’s only been 5.5 weeks and I’m 16lbs down, another 9lbs and I’d be totally delighted…. maybe by my birthday at the end if august?!
I am very goal driven and like to monitor numbers and challenge myself…. hence the 202km…. but I can’t force the weight loss, and I can be patient for this.
Here’s to a good Sunday, lots of activity and a strict 800 calories.

Morning all 🌞
Been for for my walk, foot is fully healed so no excuses now. A funny thing happened, my shadow was slimmer! I never anticipated that, instead of my tummy stealing the show my boobs and bum stood out!!! I think I have indeed changed shape 😁
PMT, aaaghhh, what is the point of the change in emotions at this time? Is there even an answer to this question? I ate a LOT more yesterday, feeling quite low and very tired BUT I didn’t go to any sugar/bread/cereals whilst I was babysitting. Triumph!
Today’s challenge is to make a NY che*sec*ke 😂 for my niece and my dad. Thankfully it is my least favourite dessert so there’s no temptation to eat it but there will be surplus digestives which are a weakness. I think if the neighbours don’t want them they’ll have to go in the food waste bin. I AM NOT GOING TO EAT ONE!
I have some nice things to eat lined up for the day and may buy a small amount of dark chocolate as the craving is strong at this time of the month. I wonder what the reason is for this? Is it emotional or physical? I’m not wanting to binge on crap though.
Tomorrow is the start of my first full week of 800cals. Wish me luck…and determination. Also weigh in, I’m not sure which way that will go…
Oh, another thing I noticed is my hips are feeling slimmer. I think I will do a full set of measurements in the morning to see how it’s going in that department.
Thank you all for your continuing support, I love this place, I don’t feel so alone with it. I don’t think I would have got this far without you all.
Have a good and successful day all x 🌹🍏

Hi everyone I’m back with my tail between my legs.. I see a few new names since I was here towards the end of last year. I’m not sure if the ones who were here when I was on here still remember me. A slight refresher.. I lost 12 kilos put half back on and was hoping to lose all that before moving interstate, to meet up with my hubby who for work reasons left in early December. I lost the six kilos and have now put it all back on with a bit Xtra 😢..ok a fair bit Xtra… Sooooo I am determined to get back on track.. we have bought bikes and try to go riding most days..this house has 3 flights of stairs so I have no excuse not to do some form of exercise..it’s either that or stay in the lounge room and kitchen forever😕.. Anyway I’m needing you all to keep me motivated. I’ve been too scared to weigh myself..my clothes tell me the story that I didn’t want to acknowledge.. I’m ready to face my demons (carbs😝) and move on. I feel horrible..my knees hate me, as does my shoulder..so I am going to be kind to them and treat them with the respect they deserve and cut out the bad stuff again..so ladies and gentlemen I’m back and need you all 🖐️ I’ll be joining every weekly challenge that is my pledge.
Have a great day / night wherever you may be..I’m in the centre of Australia and it’s beautiful 😊😊😊xxx

Hi waitaminute,
my knees, shoulder and left hip have also hated me! And now they don’t, so much! I have noticed so many other changes too – no indigestion, more comfortable in my clothes and movements, no headaches, more balanced emotions, just feeling lighter, sexier and healthier all round.
I wrote a list of reasons why I want to change my eating and lose excess weight. I check in with this from time to time and use it to stop me making decisions I’ll regret later. That’s not to say that I don’t make them but I don’t let them ruin all my hard work.
You are in a good place here, I for one have found it invaluable. I talk about my ups and downs with honesty and hit helps so much.
You can do this if I can. Serial yo-yoer from beautiful coastal Dorset, England x 🌹🍏

….age 48 and 3/4 !!!

Hi there Rosyapple ( what a great name 😊 )
I did this way of eating a couple of years ago with great success, I felt great, all aches and pains left , I also had to take medication for indigestion 😝 and soon noticed that I didn’t need it as soon as I stopped eating bread and yeasty products or chocolate.
I was amazed at how fast the weight fell and like you I felt comfortable in my clothes, healthier and less moodier.. it didn’t help with my not sleeping and night sweats but I didn’t focus so much on that..not when I had no pain in my knees and shoulder 😊
I used to lurk in the forums, reading and not posting.
Then for some stupid reason I fell off the wagon big time and stopped reading, that’s when the aches and pains started back up and I was grumpy and feeling like crap.
To cut a long story short I joined in this forum and started losing weight again.. then did exactly what I said I’d never do and that was eat all the wrong stuff and here I am again..this time I’m determined to stick with it properly.. I need to check in here most days so that I keep motivated..these people here help so much it’s a great forum..thank you for your encouragement Rosyapple xx onwards and downwards as the good people here say 👍

Hi Waitaminute ! I remember you from last year …definitely .I think you disappeared after Christmas ? Welcome back !! If your home situation is settled now then it’s time to concentrate on you, your health and wellbeing. Just step on the scales to get that starting weight, take some measuremnts and off you go ….onwards . Track somehow because it does help..whether using an app or an old fashioned notebook.

Don’t dwell on past experiences apart from just accepting you can learn from them. The decision to come back is positive and you know you feel better after just a short time on this WOE so we will support and encourage you evry step of the way Waitaminute !
You are in central Australia so approaching winter ? You can start thinking of preparingwarm, filling soups ?
You are now on the list of contributors to the thread so we look forward to your posts .

Morning all
Good to read about your progress through the weekend, I loved the bit about your shadow Rosy, I’ll keep an eye out for mine later! 20g of carbs has been fairly tough, don’t quite feel like I’m getting my 5 a day and am beginning to feel the effect of less fibre… but it has restarted weight loss so that’s a great result. I am also heading towards the dreaded week before the week so hoping to get one more day of loss in before the water retention palaver starts.
May the force be with you all!

Hi wendleg,
Thank u so much for having faith in me and your support😊😊😊😊
Yes all settled in and the 1st day of Winter tomorrow, I’ve made chicken stock ready for soup making, it’s in the freezer ready to go.. I can and will do this .. there has to be no going back it’s not worth all the pain and feeling yuk!!!
I want a slimmer shadow too 😊😊

signing off a Sunday evening here
Was so interesting to read of so many struggling this week…as I have been-it WAS a huge work week but I also hit Thursday/Friday and felt…..sick of all this and hungry!!….then JGwen…thank you forever….that link you posted was just the reminder and insights I needed!!

So weirdly after feeling all was impossible, I have eaten little and well and resumed some really serious exercise this weekend (I may pay a little tomorrow after the steep 3 hour mountain walk today!!)….but also back into yoga to try to reduce cortisol and it’s effects on weight!

More than that, the link to Fung’s block (despite the irritation of having to move from one post to the next) has inspired me to look further into the science of TRE and diet and insulin!!

Ready for the coming week with bells on and look forward to all your stories and resilience!!!

Hi all,
After catching up with all your posts, it feels to me like people here are more positive than a few weeks before. It seemed most of us were somehow a bit low.. So good to read people seem to be in a better place! . Those who are struggling, I hope all these pledges and commitments may help you, too. It sure helped me. My weightloss has slowed down a bit, I’m in week 20 now, and became less strict. This week, I told myself to behave, remember my why and go for it. I discarded nearly a whole kilo! I felt it before it showed on the scales, funny how that works.
Still, I think I need to discard about six kilo’s. Although, as more members mentioned, bodyshape and amount and place of fat is more important. I’m tall and uk size 14 now, my target is size 12. Let’s see how much I weigh by the time I’m there. Tuesday is my ‘scales’ day, we’ll see. I’m hopeful and committed.
DD

Inspiring Olive. Thank you. I’m at the beginning of my journey. I need to get my head around slow and steady loss. 800cals and 16:8 for me. I’ve just been able to convince hubby that no eating after 7pm is the way to go. Snacking in front of TV has been a big problem. Well done so far.

Thanks JGwen. You have brought up some great points and have the experience behind them. Weight loss has been the number one thing on my mind since my first diet at age 11. I’m now 63!! Since Covid I’ve really been focusing on exercise. Strength training mostly but also HIIT. I’m feeling good. Stuck with hubby 24hrs a day has been hard in terms of eating. He eats constantly. His snacks are healthy but he is putting on kilos. He is overweight but not obese. I have about30k to lose. I started in January and lost several kilos but half have crept back.

Good morning everyone,
Ok I weighed myself (gulp) 😝 I’m 63 kilos or 9 stone 12. I’m 5 foot so the extra weight shows. I’m 59 and 3/4 but age is just a number right????
I am aiming for 57 kilos so 6 kilos needs to find its way off me and bugger off to wherever weight goes when it’s discarded.
Hi Riccoh I’m also starting my journey so maybe we can encourage each other 😊.
I’m going to not eat until later today so I’ll keep busy to stave off the carb monster.
I noticed last time I did this WOE that it didn’t take long for my body to get used to not eating till later in the day. Hopefully this time will be the same.
My hubby is going to do this in his way🙄 which means he decided he won’t eat chips (hot ones and crisps) still it’s something I suppose..he did eat a lot of both.
Dinner tonight will be fish and salad ..the weather is still nice 23 degrees Celcius so the soup can wait till a bit later in the week.
Last time I did this I became addicted to yoghurt and blueberries with chia seeds ..I still love it so it will be a big part of my diet again. 😊 right I’d better stop or I’ll be writing the war and peace length post..
Night night to all the northern hemisphere peeps.
Good morning to all us southerners 🖐️❤️

Hi Waitaminute. I’m in Sydney. It’s a sunny 17c here at the moment but it will warm up. Brunch, 11am and the first meal of the day, will be a Greek yoghurt, banana and raspberry smoothie. I use frozen raspberries and some water so its not too thick. 1/2 a sml banana, too. Its a great start but I only have it once or twice a week. I usually have Muscle Milk. Made hot in the milk frother, with 200ml milk and one scoop. Does anyone else drink Muscle Milk? We did have Optifast but I didn’t like the taste. I know it has artificial sugar but it keeps me going till dinner when I have a 500 cal meal.

Hi everyone,
I had a bit better day today. Still disappointing on the scale, but there is no way that what I am doing won’t have an impact in the long term. I’ve decided to not weigh myself again until my clothes are fitting at least a little looser, as I will likely be putting on a bit of muscle due to the exercise I’m doing.
I started my new fasted morning exercise regime yesterday with a HIIT workout, and continued today with an hour long walk that included 2km of running around a loop in the local park (made the whole first km w/o walking and only 2x short walks on the 2nd lap), plus some step ups on a bench, squats and jump lunges. I am surprising myself with the running as I am feeling quite strong in my legs and it is not bothering my back and pelvis at all. Just my lungs that can’t keep up at the moment, but that is hardly surprising given how many asthma attacks I have had over the last couple weeks. Tomorrow is an easier day as it is yoga day.
Once home, I had breakfast of greek yogurt, hemp seeds, and some fresh strawberries that I have treated myself to this week. Then I transplanted my tomatoes into their final large pots on the balcony, and then did a bit of cooking to get ready for the week. I made mini frittatas in muffin tins and I’m trying cabbage chips, but they are still in the oven as they take 2 hours at low temperature, so I can’t report yet how they will turn out.

Hi Riccoh,
I’ve never heard of muscle milk .Your smoothie sounds yummy. I’ve stocked up on sparkling water so that every time I think food is beconing to me I’ll drink that coz it gives me a full feeling, plus it adds to the water I need to be drinking.
Arctic fox u wear me out just reading how active u are..maybe I’ll just read your post over and over and see if it wears some of the fat off me 😂😂
I’m a self confessed lazy person..but like I said we bought bikes so we go riding most days and we moved into this house with 3 flights of stairs so I’ve decided that running up and down those, ok maybe not running, but a fast pace every time I think I’ll sit down for a while, should help with the exercise..if nothing else I’ll have muscles in my legs and bum 😂😂.
Wendleg, I took measurements 😰 😰😰😰omg my tape measure lies.🙂😂😂
Never again will I look at the measurements with my glasses on 😎
Right the washing is begging to be hung out so I’m off.down a flight of stairs too I might add 😉
It’s great we have people from all over the globe..that means there’s always someone here for support..believe me I need it ..ok I’m off ..
Oh yeah b4 I forget Rosy I was born in Sheffield in the UK ..been here since I was 9 and haven’t been back yet ..one day tho 👍
Right that’s it I’m gone ………..

Hello to all 👋🏼 both re-joiners and new faces!
June 1st.. a great time for a fresh start! Let’s use this month to make a real difference to our lives!

Wenleg, I loved your earlier post, you nailed it! This part In particular (it was so good I’ve had to copy it):

“I do worry about the people who come on to the forum full of enthusiasm and then for whatever reason drift away and stop posting. The ones who stay are the ones who refuse to give in to self doubt , who are commited and get back on to it after a blip.“

This is me and from the posts I have read on the forum the last couple of days.. others too! I have perfectionist tendencies which can ultimately lead to self-sabotage. I start really well, then slip up, beat myself up, think I can’t do it and disappear and gain all that I already successfully lost. This time that is NOT happening! I refuse to give up.. Instead of overly berating myself for mistakes I will accept them and forgive myself – I am human. I am committed to stay here for the long haul and I will get the results I need!
I have my 2 x goal dresses hanging up in the cupboard, by the end of June I’m sure they will fit like a dream! I am committed to a 36 hour fast to kick off this week then everyday I will post my daily cals/ carbs stats on my profile to keep myself accountable!!! I am doubling down on my efforts and am determined to have a great week!

Thank you to all who have posted over the last few days, lots of real determination and encouragement to be had from reading these messages. Well done everyone! GreenGal 🥦

Hello everyone!
Early morning quietness, all the girls are asleep, a rare thing, so I’m taking this moment to check in.
Stayed the same on the scales today, PMT water retention? so great there’s no increase.
I posted sometime ago about how I couldn’t see where the weight I want to lose would come from. Oddly, now I’ve lost a chunk I can see, I don’t know if this is because I am looking in the mirror more or if my head has finally caught up with where I’m at. Anyway, I still have the fear that I’m going to be this strange sack of skin hanging on my frame. Even though I have discarded a stone my body looks floppier, for want of a better word! Its a bit disconcerting but I guess my skin has some catching up to do. I’m trying to be disciplined in applying oils or a body butter after showering. Also trying body brushing which I’d like to add to my routine. Anyone else tried this?
I made the cheesecake yesterday and not one digestive passed my lips, not even a lick of the spoon 😁 I did treat myself to 90g of 85% chocolate though 45g of which I gave to my neighbour.
Today is the 1st day of 7 days of 800cals. I’ve decided to take it a week at a time and see how it goes. Fridge stocked and ready to go! I do feel like this may be tough going but trying not to build it up too much…. breakfast and lunch will be fairly typical of what I’ve been eating lately but dinner is going to be considerably smaller and more basic. Also sticking to 12/12 which I’ve been doing all along with the aim of going 10/14 somewhere down the road.
Here’s to a great week and well done all for your achievements, fresh starts and generally picking yourselves up and getting on with it. Many rewards coming our way🏆🏅🎁
Much love 🌹🍏

Greengal – can i shuffle myself along side you and ride this weeks wave with you? I am also one who would be inclined to mes sup and saunter off thinking i cant do this….. I do NOT want to do that this time and i have had some wobbly days over the past week or 2. I am also terrible at self-forgiveness generally and I think “failing at diets” is a common stick i beat myself with! First of June indeed – lets do this! Please let me know how your 36 hour fast goes? I’ve done a few 23 / 24 hour fasts (doing that today) and coped well, considered a 36hr fast last week but had dinner after 24hrs…… really want to try and push through and see how it feels – would like to commit myself to one this week. Hmmm.
I have accepted that this may not be a quick process and i dont need to see 3-4 lbs loss a week…… slow but maintained is far more effective. Trying to be at peace with it all.

Arcticfox – June is going to be a HIIT month for me, May was walking focused and my body needs a bit of a change i think so HIIT is planned and hubby has agreed to join in so we will mix up boxing, weights and strength routines which we have access to via the gym app and facebook. I would like to manage 7 days at 800 as well – i slip up every weekend – can you chase me on Friday and lets see if i can nail it for a full week?

Rosyapple – I made cheesecake for the men on Saturday – it was glorious even if i say so myself – berry cheesecake on a ginger biscuit base…… and not one ginger bikkie passed my lips and no cheesecake was sampled! Amazing how much joy i take in this, and also how happy i was watching them enjoy it and not needing to join in. Things have changed for the better even if i’m not 100% where i want to be mentally.

Waitaminute – my hubby is the same – he has made minor adjustments for the better but is no where near being able to be BSD friendly. He’s off the refined sugar mostly, snacks a lot less and has reduced his bread / pasta / rice intake but he’s not going to go much further. Of course, he has lost weight just doing this…. he has a fabulous metabolism!

Riccoh, can you get the Fast800 shakes in Oz? Not sure you can. I have some of them and quite like them with some frozen berries and crushed ice. I have confidence there is no rubbish in them and the nutrition is suited to this way of eating.

Have a good Monday peeps