Morning all I have just finished my last night shift for the week! Yay!

6T I am sorry we are confusing you, that is not our intention. Please don’t worry about the keto side as you are doing so well and I am glad the original woe is working for you. V set up the keto thread so everyone who is happy continuing their journey as before can do so without confusion. I will keep my keto bits to that thread from now on. I have gone into keto as we have had some worrying news and keto is supposed to help with the situation, so I am going into this and discovering how it works so I can help my mum. I love the BSD and it has helped me discard a whooping 55lbs. It will always be my woe of choice. I just need to this like I said to help my mum.

Off to bed so will be back later. Sorry again for causing confusion. Love and hugs Birdy 💞🦜

6T I’m sorry if all this talk of keto is off putting for you but that was precisely the reason I set a separate thread so as not to discourage anybody. My interest in keto is purely because I’ve been eating the BSD way for over three years and I just felt I needed a change and a bit more discipline. I know exactly how you feel because I feel the same when if comes to fasting and autophagy, not even sure that’s how you spell it!
To be honest I’m not that much into the science I just needed a change to kick start my body.
There are so many great threads and we can choose which to read and which to ignore. This is still one of my favourite threads, well I did start it!, way back, probably over a year ago and I think it serves a great purpose, as does the monthly one.
Please just cherry pick, I love cherries unfortunately, and read the stuff that helps and not the stuff that confuses.
I’m sorry if I’ve inadvertently chatted too much about keto on this thread.

Hi all
Amz…..I have found with many of the young girls and women I’ve worked with over the years that simple circus skill…even clowning can be both body-positive and good exercise….but some i agree, motivating those who are not used to or even dislike physical activity can be a challenge so take it gently!
Kafin, I was reading back through posts and realised I hadn’t answered you re my trip-I’m off to the Maritimes -east coast Canada. First Prince Edward Island and then Nova Scotia/Cape Breton Island-it’s a work trip (still enjoyable hanging out with great musicians and festival people!) but I plan to include some physical adventure also-hopefully some kayaking and bushwalking (hiking to the Nth Americans!)-and a bit of sightseeing
and such a lovely thing that your foster daughter is happy with you-you must be very caring and she’s picked up on that, despite the trauma-I hope that the outcome is workable for all
Elky-my sweet peas may only survive because they’re in the newly fenced garden that also includes the vegetable beds and fruit trees-out the very front even the young lavender is fair game!!-time will tell….
Wendleg…you’re right, Kunanyi/Mt Wellington is beautiful and we are right under it! truly blessed and I appreciate it every day!! (as long as we can keep the developers and their stupid cable car idea at bay! grrr)
me…i have more visitors arriving soon for the weekend so will probably just kick back and enjoy my old friends-my food habits are pretty ingrained and good (and I’m cooking, so in control) , but there will definitely be wine (old friends!)…..that will leave me 2.5 weeks to loosen the clip on those trousers!

Hi all,
so I got up this morning and weighted in as I do every day AND I HIT GOAL!! I am so happy! Run down the stairs and high five’d everyone in my family lol
I know numbers aren’t everything but it made me ecstatic so I’m taking it all in… So please and can’t believe I’ve achieved it within 12 weeks. Very happy to share this on the forum.
@amz-the-beautiful sending you strong happy vibes, I hope you find a way to help your daughter. I agree with other suggestions, maybe a dance class together could be great, like zumba or zumba kids. It’s pretty fun. The egg fast was great, there’s also the fat fast which has similar results that you might want to explore. Just a little more variety than just eggs so depends what you like and feel like.

Well done Louise! Brilliant start to the day.

Whoops! Forget to click submit earlier so my post was lost.
175.
Today I am eating at a Vietnamese restaurant. I was thinking my best option is to get a medium chicken pho with zoodles and share with my daughter.
My stress comes from a variety of factors – I’m still trying to endure a difficult marriage, dealing with my daughter’s health issues, and I’m looking for work (freelance blog and article writer) that isn’t materializing despite my great efforts. I can’t really do anything more that what I’m already doing so I just have to keep going with losing focus and hope.

Hi Amz
It’s always good when you come and post , despite the difficulties you are facing. As Kafin says, we just wish we could help you more.Just remember you always have our support and try not to put too much pressure on yourself.Thanks for your advice too, EC. I think that is a great idea, exercise has to be fun, something your daughter will enjoy not a chore
No Amz, don’t lose hope. xx

EC – what a cool sounding trip! Once again, I wish we could share photos on this forum as I bet you’ll have some amazing ones!
Keep going, Amz – I’m freelance as well and it can be such a struggle constantly putting yourself out there (especially since I’m an introvert!). I hope it picks up. How did the Vietnamese meal go?
Hope everyone is looking forward to their weekends, Friday here so one day to go for me xx

Wishing everyone a very relaxing weekend, whatever you have planned. It will be a quiet one for me after surviving my first Week back at work. My insurance entitles us to help as a result of hubby’s accident so that is beginning tomorrow. I opted for gardening help as I didn’t think that me wielding a chainsaw and lopping off branches was a good idea !!
I got back to my OMAD/TMAD and an extended fast this Week which basically means summer is officially over. Hopefully my 11 stone target will be within reach as I resume my routine. Progress is slower now which I accept and trust. I will let you know how I get on.
The weekends are often quiet but I hope as many of you as possible find time to come and say hi .
I am watching over you, Amz xx
Does Bikeyguy check in on Saturday ??

Have a great time in Vienna with your mum, Scottishgal ! Looking forward to hearing from you when you get back xx

6T – sorry you’ve felt a bit put off with all the different stuff cropping up. It can be so confusing when everyone is trying something different, but if the low carb is working, stick with it and ignore the rest; if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!

wend – learning Italian is a great idea. Think my Mum’s done some Italian at evening classes a few years ago – Italy is her favourite place. I have to admit, I love Venice but have only been a couple of times, so hope to go back again in the future.

Kafin – we’re going to Akumal Bay; we always go to the Riviera Maya area. I’d like to visit Tulum this time too actually. You’re so lucky being so much closer! I’m hoping to go back to Chichen Itza again and get to Xel Ha and Xcaret too, plus spend as many hours as possible snorkelling – hoping to see turtles and maybe go on the whale shark snorkelling trip (I’ve snorkelled with giant manta rays before and it was the most amazing experience of my life, so would like to see whale sharks if I can have the chance and the tours are run in a way that minimize stress to them

LouiseKangaroo – well done on hitting Goal; I’m so pleased for you! I really need to consider a sensible goal for myself – not sure my current one is realisitc so need to have a think about what is now realistic given my age and lifestyle these days!

Amz – how was the Vietnamese restaurant? I haven’t tried anything Vietnamese – must add it to my list of food to learn about. We don’t have many non standard restaurants round my way unfortunately – I went to a Tibetan restaurant in Paris once that was amazing. In fact, I must look out my Tibetan cookbook again – thanks, that’s inspired me to go and look back through that!

Not much going on here this weekend – will break my fast at lunch time today; not sure what with as yet. I’m so enjoying being back on low carb / fasting; I feel so much more positive, have more energy and just feel healthier. Having said that, I think the break for my holiday was useful – makes me appreciate the benefits of this WOL and makes sure I don’t get complacent; an important part of long term success for me I think.

Have a great weekend everyone, I’ll see you on next week’s thread on Tuesday and will see if I’ve managed to banish the last of the holiday gain!

Hi BeeGirl and everyone else! I would not say I feel “put off” – it’s probably more that I am a bit disappointed with the last two months, and with myself, so I know I need to knuckle down but I don’t think I can go for the full keto monitoring kit! But I do like reading all the threads, and seeing people’s fantastic results – LouiseK, those pics are really great – and all in 12 weeks! I think Wendleg is right that I need to mix things up a bit, OMAD, and I might throw in some keto recipes from DietDoctor. It seems very first world problem to say that I am bored with stir fries and raspberries…..So need to get inspired. I found some sockeye salmon at M&S, so that is for supper, with baby courgettes. I have plenty of housework to keep me busy for the rest of the day!
It is quite chilly today in London; I am wearing a light cardi and keeping back door open, hoping the slight shivering will have an effect – a natural form of “CoolSculpting”? Hope everyone is well, and that first week of back to school/back to work has also not been too stressful!

Hi everyone
We had the gardening help in today so I have been looking after them, not leaving me much time to check in.
6T..don’t feel disappointed.You have had great success .You haven’t had any major moments where you ‘fell off the wagon”. I know you are frustrated with the ‘sporran’ but I recognised like you that my body was getting used to what I was doing ( long stall for me too for a good while) and I needed to shake things up a bit.
The first egg fast attempt caused a break through..then hubby’s accident meant I had a coupleof days when I struggled to eat…then the stress eased…So I think it is good to re assess. I know I was overindulging on the nuts and dark choc and Greek yoghurt so I had changes I could make there. I didn’t reach my 70kg/11 stone target at the end of August but I am not panicking and eating carbs ! I am relaxed because I trust that the adjustments and my occasional fasts will eventually get me there.
I know you are not a fan of fasting but extending your overnight fasts ( skipping breakfast ) might be manageable, and also OMAD as you suggest. You don’ t necessarily have to go down the keto measuring route.
You must not underestimate your achievement , 6T. Do you remember Verano also talked about getting a bit bored a while back ??
You know you look fantastic…don’t forget those small jeans ! Stop focusing on that (negative) sporran ? You also have had brilliant results.I think this is just a time to re motivate yourself with some delicious new foods and some renewed enthusiasm. Remind us of the date of the event coming up ?
I have my eye on 70kg. You are looking to go even lower. You will get there 6T !

Thanks @beegirl and @sixturkeys I’m still buzzing 😊

6T I’m sorry you feel that way and I completely understand where you come from. I remember feeling that way at some point, with just too many threads, too many posts, too many different eating strategies. It was completely overwhelming.
At that point I decided to focus on one thread, so I subscribed to that one and didn’t look at the forum itself. I would just go to the thread from my email notifications. Maybe that could work for you too and help you refocus?
I also chose at that point to listen to one person/book in terms of WOE. For me it was Jason Fung. Tuned out the rest. It helped me also to not get overwhelmed.
I don’t know much about your journey and I’d love to know more. Maybe sharing here how far you have come will give you a positive buzz too. Or looking at older photos of a bigger you? That surely motivates me although I can’t find many photos as I was hiding from the camera…! 🙈

6T I think what both Wendy and Louise have said is right on.
I have had so many ups and downs and I think that’s probably true for lots of people. I have learnt a lot this week from following one particular method, as Louise said, she just followed Jason Fung, and I think maybe that’s the secret to finding your own ‘path’. I realise from these last six days that full on keto with stick dipping and stressing over keto levels isn’t for me. But I’ve also leaned that I can, if I want, stay well below 30g of carbs a day. I can live without Ryvita and nuts and crisps, not that I’ve eaten any of those in a while. I also realise that following some recipes has given me back a little enthusiasm for cooking again. I was in a rut and now I enjoy eating again. I also realise that eating fat with gay abandon won’t work for me. Yesterday I found myself not adding avocado to a meal because I felt the it was just too calorific.
So don’t be disheartened, or overwhelmed. As Wendy says look to your positive achievements and if you are bored there’s no harm in experimenting a little until you find the best way forward for you. But, that may not be by sticking to any particular ‘doctrine ‘ like glue, it could be you very own mixed and matched version of several plans. Good luck finding your personal ‘pathway’.

Lovely messages thank you! I realise my last two posts were as clear as mud; the first one that I found things “off putting” and the second one that I was not “put off”… LouiseK has expressed much better what I was thinking! Wendleg, breakfast has never been a thing for me, so I was doing TMAD and 16:8 pretty much from the start (LouiseK, that was in Jan; I was 86kgs, I’m 57 and 5’2”), but never really counting macros, and taking more of the scenic route. Anyway, I was pleased this morning when I checked out the scales. Mine are old style, and I had been hovering over the first “1” in 11 stone for weeks, but this morning there was clear water to the left so I’m taking that as firmly in the 10 stone bracket! Some way to go to get to target, but you are all right, I need to focus on how far I have come, rather than stress about how much further to go (which being about 5kg I should put in the context of the 19 odd kgs discarded to date). And a sporran is better than the barrel that was my middle at the start! Not forgetting the aching hips and the creaky knees! Wendleg, the event is early November – I will leave new frock shopping to late October! Hope everyone has a great Sunday and here’s to next week, whichever iteration of the WoE we are following.

6T that is amazing!! 19kg gone! Fabulous x. 5kg is less than a third of that so it will be no problem. Also great news that you are in the 10 stone bracket❤️. I am waiting to tip into the 13 stone bracket. That will the lightest I have been in 21 years! Crikey that is a long time! I was 12.9 when I was 22 and I thought that was huge! I have been a lot heavier than that and now I know it really isn’t that heavy! Well compared to the 18 stone I was back in April!!

Hope you are having a lovely day and yes here is to next week on whatever woe we are following. Slow and steady wins the race xx Birdy 💞🦜

Hi I was just thinking about Allie. Did somebody upset her because she’s not posted for ages? It would be sad if she’s stopped posting for good as she was so welcoming to new members particularly. When you next speak to her do pass on all my best wishes to her.

Hi Verano, I think Allie is just getting back into the swing of the new academic term, but I am with you in missing her on here, she will hopefully be back (not least for the January 2020 joiners…that will scarily come around very quickly…). I had a nice shopping trip with my daughter today; just a tour round the smaller M&S on Oxford Street. Observations: I am wearing size 12 jeans from them so why do I need a size 14 skirt? And couldn’t even fit into a size 14 skirt in another style…She is tiny, but in bras a 30 (0r 32) D cup – cup sizes have been changed so much, and it’s maybe just to make the ampler ladies who would otherwise be a size Q feel slightly better….We both tried on “control” garments – meaning I put it over my head and gave up….she looked lovely in her size 8 vintage style body, but drew the line…

I fell short of my weekly -1.5kg target that I had set for myself this week. Lost 1.1kg and given that it’s TTOM I’ve probably retained extra fluid so happy with my results.
Also I reached my initial goal so there’s that 😛
Looking fwd to a new week ahead!

Congratulations 6T on getting into the 10s bracket! Very positive and shows how far you’ve come.
And great going LK – you will reach your next target soon.
I had a good week, playing around with perhaps trying to lose another kg, or at least not going up, by staying 16:8 and low carb for at least 5 days a week. The end of the week shows I remained stable, even with a few drinks out. So v happy with that! 🌞🌞
Everyone is doing well – Beegirl, Verano, Wendy, Amz, Kafin – all good stories to read this week.
Verano – I am also enjoying trying new recipes – and made cloud bread for the first time this weekend ☁☁☁

Hi @jgwen ! How is your nephew’s stay going? Is he hiking off to the take-away a couple of times a day 😁😁 Hopefully he is enjoying your tasty fare and chilling at your farm.

Back from a great break in Amsterdam
Not 100% good but not too bad. 2 pounds on in 4 days is OK and blood still good at 5.6

Hi MerryM , thank you for asking how things are going with my nephew. –

Apparently the specialist clinic he goes to for the medication/treatment for his ADHD, and autism have told him he has to have carbs to make up for the lack of dopamine. – Because he is also dyslexic I do know that this is genuinely the recommendations from the NHS clinic for ADHD and autism that he has learnt by rote.

So I am currently struggling to work out dishes that both a keto vegetarian and a carb addicted meat eater can share. – Simplest seems to be cook keto veg based dishes and have some meat dish available as a side dish for him. Yesterday I was that person going around the supermarket buying packets of zero carb noodles and tofu and a bar of 85% coco chocolate, as well as sliced bread, biscuits and family size bars of chocolate.

We did work flat out on Saturday, and decided to head down to the village pub for our evening meal. – – Well it was nice having someone here who volunteered to drive. —- So I had a couple of pints with the lowest carb meal on the menu. – Having 2 pints of bitter after a physically active day, and eating low carb for months is a Bad Move. The cramps started as I was walking back to the car, I had to get up a number of times during the night to free of the locked solid leg muscles and my digestive system still feels bunged up after a fasting day.

Oh gosh JGwen that sounds like a nightmare. Sound like you have been a busy lady and at least your nephew is helping you. Is he worried that there is no takeaways? I am sure you have given him plenary to do. Hope you are both enjoying spending time getting to know each other.

My boy has ADHD and he got the same advice about carbs!! I am slowly taking him away from them though as I now know fat soothes the brain. We have a deal that he will eat clean from Sunday to Friday and then he can have two days of having something he loves. He is 13 and I k is it is not good for him to have sugar but softly softly catchy monkey 🐒. Have a good JGwen. Oh could I send my son to you this summer so he can help you out? He loves animals and physical work. Birdy 🦜💞

175.6
I’m still here, haven’t been feeling well (migraines). Still working on getting my daughter active.

Hi Amz
I know you have mentioned migraines before and they truly are debilitating.I hope you feel better soon, and the stress relating to your daughter can also be relieved . All the very best to you both xxx

Well done everyone on your weekly discards . I will add a little pound to the stack. Those who are confronting a gain following a trip away or weekend excesses, or facing the total frustation of things not happening, just keep going. Maintenance and stability is not to be sneezed at either, well done.
We are all in this together on a personal and collective level to support each other. Another Week begins where we can continue to do that . I will set up the new thread later so I hope to see you all over there !

I have set up the new weekly thread, folks xxx

Hi Birdy, Nephew is a happy little soul at present, he has stripped down and rebuilt the fuel pump on my landrover, and has pulled the farm quad to pieces and freed off the brakes and then spent time whizzing around the fields on the quad. (He is in his 30’s)

He just made himself a double round of cheese, bacon, fried egg and hummus sandwiches. – while I had a coffee. So no trip to the take away today. But I am going to have to restock with biscuits and chocolate soon.

Very fond greetings to all of my friends, and a warm welcome to those just coming on board! I would never just disappear
without telling you all why I chose to do so. Thank you V. for being concerned..how very much like you! 6T is spot on, I’ve
been having trouble with my multi tasking skills, i.e. adjusting to O/H’s Fall teaching schedule, keeping up with a dozen or
more bsd email contacts, skype play dates, and trying to return our house to acceptable order before next month’s big event.
Hello newcomers! We’re delighted to have you all here. For those that don’t know, I met KazzUK on this forum 2 years
ago, and she will be crossing the pond to spend my birthday week with me in Oct. Suddenly I’ve been doing a thorough
inspection of the premises, and I’m finding it not up to par, so I’ve been busy catching up with waxing furniture, washing
windows, laundering drapery panels, and the like. This is what I get for being a haphazard housekeeper! I have missed
you all, and I’m off to sign in with Wendy’s new weekly thread. See you soon! 🙂 XOXO