Good morning I am a new starter. Began reading MM book on my Kindle last week and planning to start tomorrow so a little late to the party. My O/H and I did the 5/2 for some weeks a few years back, it was really successful but the usual stresses of work and life took over, then the wine and easy eats started. The past four years have seen us sell out home to downsize, allowing us to retire and find a home in Spain. It’s been a journey. So here we are, hoping that together we have the best chance to enjoy the rest of our life, we now have time to take control of our health and enjoy the everyday. The forums seem inspiring and motivating … have a lovely Sunday.

Hi livingthemedlife !
I don’t know if there are any other members in Spain on here. The Uk , USA, Australia and New Zealand are well represented and a few of us live in France. You are very welcome and I hope we can help and support you as you achieve your health goals. Lots of good choices in Spain ! I love the fish and veggie tapas especially.

If you have read the Fast 800 book you will have a good ide of the principles and you have seen results with 5:2. Remember to stay low carb and eat moderate protein and fat. Carbs and sugar are everywhere and are to be avoided so you keep your insulin low. Maybe give the Rioja a wide berth too 😉 Hopefully you will be less stressed now so you can enjoy life to the full.

Shout out if you have any questions as there are lots of very experienced, supportive people on here who will generously give any advice and encouragement.
All the very best to you and your O/H

Hi WoodDuckie,
Thanks for the crafty suggestions, I already now Crochet as a job! After having to give up work as a research scientist 2 years ago to manage my daughter’s care I reinvented my self. I now have a vvv small business making bespoke cushions. I find crocheting a real life saver as it keeps both your hands and mind busy but not in an overbearing way. Unfortunately, in the last few weeks I have developed ‘tennis’ elbow from crocheting. I’ve got exercises to do but it is at the agonising stage…determined to fix it as I don’t think I have the energy to reinvent myself again.
I love the idea of calligraphy too and instead of crochet I might do a jigsaw today 😊

Does anyone on here do the ‘ fast exercises’ that the book recommends. Thought I’d try fitting them in soon too

I am feeling really supported in this lovely group and great to hear about everyone elses journeys 😍

Hi Shellbob, you have great spirit in facing your challenges, I hope that you recover flexibility in your arm soon.
I have been on the WOE for just 2 weeks, so a very new chick! As my energy level is far higher than before, I tried the exercise cycle routine suggested in the book. I find 10 minutes is enough to get those lovely exercise endorphins going, and I have been able to manage 2 x 20 second bursts after a few days.
I like walking, but the weather is either stormy or rainy lately and gives me reason not to go out. I take a bus to an area that I don’t know well, that will give me a 5 mile walk home. That way, even if it’s raining I get a walk, muttering to myself about how crap the weather is. The things I do to persuade myself to exercise!
It can be hard to leave the house if you are a carer. Have you some support, so you can get out for a hour or so?

Just read your previous post that you take your dogs for walks. That’s the best incentive. What’s the weather where you are?

Hello Livingthemedlife – congrats on taking the decision to change your life with BSD. We’re always pleased to welcome newcomers and it doesn’t matter if it’s at the beginning of the week or the end, we’re happy to have you here. Why not post your(and your husband’s) current stats here tomorrow and then join us at the start of the new weekly thread on Tuesday?

wendleg – if you’re okay with it, I’ll set up the One Week thread again for next week, with a view to us co-hosting again for another week.

Patricia – you put me to shame! There is no way I’d walk home in the rain if I didn’t have to, even in the name of exercise.

My w/e is following a reasonably faithful BSD path – if you ignore Friday night’s divergence! I’m at least hoping that come Tuesday morning, I won’t need to report the scales showing more than last Tuesday morning. Hope everyone is having an okay BSD w/e and look forward to reading about their progress as the new week begins.

Hi folks.
Livingthemedlife – never too late to join the party!

Am feeling frustrated this week as the pace of weight loss seems to have slowed right down. I am on Week 5 and have lost just over 8kg. I know this is a great achievement – but this week has been so so slow. I am floating just above 72kg and its stubbornly staying there. I have had no carbs – no rice, pasta, bread, potatoes, noodles etc for the whole time. I am avoiding all added sugar. I don’t eat high sugar fruit. No juice, no soda, no milk in coffee. SO – am thinking what am I not doing right here?
Is this normal ?

C

Yes, SunnyB I would be happy to continue co-hosting with you. It’s great to see this thread so active and there’s a lovely mix of support, sound advice, encouragement and good humour !
If any ‘lurkers’ want to come out and join us, feel free ! If anyone is feeling despondent having been unable to stick to the plan for whatever reason, and are hesitant about ‘owning up’ to that….no worries !! We don’t judge. We will do all we can to help you address any issues that are holding you back.
Patricia ! You are also shaming me into getting on the exercise bike !!

Shellbob , you have a lot in common with Duckie and you have both had to face tremendous life challenges. Not forgetting Violinist and Allie of course. You wonderful women are a total inspiration.

8 weeks/C
A discard of 8kg + is to be commended and celebrated.I did not continue at the same rate every Week and had a slow down in Weeks 5/6. Things did pick up and I have had slow, steady progress ever since. I think you are being a bit hard on yourself. Maybe relax about the rate of weight discard .It’s not a race, you have plenty of time and if you focus more on the long term good you are doing to your body by adopting this low carb WOE rather than the numbers on the scale you will be less frustrated.

It sounds to me that you are doing everything right so keep going. You could try some intermittent fasting if you really think you need to kick start things ? Maybe try to delay your first meal of the day to allow for a longer fasting perioed from the previous evening to start with ?

Wendleg,
I will try the intermittent fasting – if only to make me feel that I am being proactive!
I am wondering what my end target is here – yes to establish a new way of eating. I definitely want that. But Im not sure when to stop trying to lose weight. When you are deciding on your target weight – how do you decide on that? My primary aim is to reverse a diagnosis of pre-diabetes – I am hoping that my losing 10% of my body weight I am already near to achieving that. But I want to go further and become healthier long term. How do you all decide on a target weight?

I don’t have a magic number as a target , 8 weeks and I am fortunate not to be (pre) diabetic. I have , however ,been on some sort of weight loss régime all my adult life. I now know I can gain control of what I see as a type of addiction. I have no cravings for carbs and I find refined processed foods quite repulsive ( I really do !) So I feel I have achieved one very important step. Initially I said I wanted to be healthy in retirement and that is still my goal. I don’t know about target weight. I will see how I feel at 12stone/76kg . It’s been a while since I could get into Uk size 16 and that was one of my goals too.

I think you are right to put long term health at the top of the list. Could you get another blood test to confirm you are now out of pre- diabetic range ?

Hi Patricia and Wendleg
Thanks for the encouragement 😊 feel like a bag of spanners at the moment 😜.
We live just outside the Lake District (England), so the weather is generally…err, how should I put it……good for filling up lakes 😂 but I don’t let the rain put me off 😊. I am going to start the resistance exercises this afternoon, my son has promised/threatened me with a lesson in technique later 🏋️‍♀️ I also do a ‘fitsteps’ class every week which is like aerobics meets strictly come dancing 💃 and walk the dog everyday but I know that exercise defo gives me an endorphin boost so would like to up it a bit if possible.
I’m kind of hoping that as I lose weight and strengthen my muscles and mind that my inflammatory arthritis will improve, so I guess this week is the start of my new way of living…..and it feels great 💖

Wendleg,
I think it is normal to wait 4 months from the first blood test – as far as I understand it, the Hemoglobin A1c, or glycated hemoglobin, evaluates the average amount of glucose in the blood over the last 2 to 3 months by measuring the percentage of glycated (glycosylated) hemoglobin. So as it in a sense gives a retrospective picture, it is best to wait four months – then they can really see where you are at. I have noticed some symptoms have disappeared – for example I don’t have to keep going to the loo. That might be conicidence but I think not. Interestingly the only measurement the nurse is interested in isn’t my weight – it is my waist size because that gives them a good picture of the kind of weight linked to developing insulin resistance.
If I am still showing signs of insulin resistance having lost so much weight maybe the doctor will look for other reasons. However, it is almost certainly having too much fat around my middle that has caused this!

Shellbob44
Nice to meet you on this forum – inspired that you can exercise in the rain of the Lake District!! I am in London and staring at the rain and making excuses…
I have inflammatory conditions – mainly psoriasis – and am interested to see if the weight loss improves that. There seems to be a lot of evidence that many auto immune conditions benefit from weight loss.

C

wendleg – thanks so much for agreeing to co-host for another week. I totally agree that this thread seems to have really livened up over the past week to ten days and it’s great that so many new people are joining us and like you I hope that there will be a few more ‘lurkers’ making themselves known in the coming week. I’ve been finding the sharing on this thread very helpful and hope everyone else is enjoying being part of this nurturing thread too.

8weeks – it is normal for discard to slow and even for small blips upwards to happen, even when we’re doing everything right and this is all due to how our bodies work. As long as the over all trend is down, that is all you need to be concerned about, even though it can feel frustrating at times. The fact your discard has slowed is natural and you have done brilliantly to date. If you are seriously concerned, just check on things like your level of carb intake and hydration. But really, it does sound like you are being too hard on yourself and putting yourself under unnecessary pressure.

As far as goal setting goes, I think we all have differing drivers and desires on that front, but initially for you I think it’s probably best to just concentrate on getting your pre-diabetic diagnosis reversed. Once you reach that point, you can re-evaluated and decide if you’d like to trim down a bit more, move into the next kilo bracket perhaps or maybe drop another garment size or simply move into maintenance. When I started out, I moved the goal posts a couple of times as achieving them got closer – nothing is set in stone so we can be flexible about our end goals even as we progress. For now, keep doing what you’re doing, the scales will continue a downward trend and you’ll get that diagnosis canned soon.

Did you take your measurements at the beginning, 8 weeks ? Definitely keep going so you can show the doc your progress in your next blood reading. If it helps I have been amazed to see my waist /hips/belly shrinking.I have always stocked my lard on the bottom half ;-)….so BSD is working. Keep those carbs low.

Shellbob you are in a lovely part of the Uk ! Well done on your exercise régime. Yes, I hope the inflammatory arthritis improves. I had a hip replacement in 2016 and I am sure being overweight pre op was a contributing factor.

Stay with us ladies !!

Wendy. You are so funny. 😀 “stocked your lard…” I haven’t heard that one.
As I said, I am still hanging at the same weight but I did measure this morning, and it looks like I’ve lost almost 2 inches off my waist so that’s huge! It really does help to measure when that scale isn’t moving. No wonder people are telling me that I look like I’ve lost more than 15 pounds. I HAVE – it’s INCHES! 🙂
Max.

I’ve never known a single forum thread to be so busy! I just love reading this one and catching up with every one’s highs and lows as well as funny and uplifting stories.
I can relate to those who have reached a plateau. I’m starting week 6 tomorrow and if tomorrows weight is the same as today then It means I’ve lost nothing in over 2 weeks. However, my blood sugar readings are brilliant. The best they have been in a long time. Can’t wait for my next hba1c. Usually I’m dreading it lol. Also, I bought myself a new pair of jeans yesterday. UK size 14😀😀. I honestly can’t remember the last time I was able to fit into size 14 in anything never mind jeans. It made my day! So, I’m trying to stay positive and thinking blood sugars and clothes sizes are much more important to me than the numbers on the scales. I really don’t want to lapse back to old eating habits and all the problems that come with it.

Hi Scottishgal, well done on the blood sugar tests and the size 14 👏 I bet you feel and look great. I agree, this numbers are more important than the scales. This forum is fab. I have lasped a little already but the posts here really help. I’m really looking forward to dropping dress sizes too xxx

Great news Max and Scottishgal ! It’s not just about numbers on the scales : good blood sugar readings and a shrinking waist are great victories !

Don’t get too hung up on plateaus. Keep going both and you will soon changes on the scales again.

I am looking forward to being a size 14 too Scottishgal. I’m thrilled to be size 16 , it’s been a while ! There is no reason why you should lapse back to your previous habits, you are doing great ! Getting your blood sugars down is the best thing you could possibly achieve for your long term health , well done !!

Keep going Thinking Thin ! Your son is going to be 21 on Thursday and you have proved what a great Mum you have been all these years . Be proud ! You are going to be FABULOUS on his birthday and then it’s going to be YOUR time !

Stay with us .You can get your confidence back and feel great about yourself . Shout out if you are in danger of ‘lapsing’ !!!

Thanks Wendleg. This forum is definitely helping when I feel myself on the verge of giving up. I was a size 20 when I was diagnosed diabetic 7 years ago. The fear factor got me down to a size 18 within months. Then I lost the fear factor. I then hovered between a 16 and 18 for years and at Xmas I was heading back up to an 18 again. All my clothes were getting too tight and I decided enough was enough! Never thought in a million years I could survive on 800 calories a day and kept dismissing it until I decided why not give it a try. Worst case scenario I’d fail at that too. But here I am…….5 weeks later……and feeling on top of the world lol

Ah thank you so much Wendleg. Am so impressed and very touched that you remembered about my son’s birthday 😘
I’m pleased that I have started even though I knew this week is going to be a challenge. There are three events for his birthday, but I am going allow myself to enjoy them. It is only those three though as need to do this once and for all. Thanks again xxx

Thinkingthin, I totally agree with you. This new WOE is for life so my logic is that we still have to fit in and enjoy special occasions without getting too hung up on what we eat. In my experience that usually leads to failure. So enjoy the celebrations without worrying about food. A couple of lapses won’t make that big a difference in the grand scheme of things. Have a great week 😁

Keep checking in with us ,lovely ladies and keep thinking long term. xxx

Thank you Scottishgal. I’ll see what the scales and measurements say tomorrow but only started on Thursday so any change anywhere will be good. Have a great week too x

That’s wonderful to hear, Scottishgirl. You and Wendy sound a lot like me.
I wish us all a lot of luck!
Max.

Hi Scottish girl, Thinking Thin, trying to think about how to plan for exceptions eg for a milestone event.

if you exceed the days calorie limit,, but don’t eat insulin raising food, do you just carry on or adjust by reducing further your calories?

Is it ok to eat a high carb dessert, if you think you can abstain after? I think I might have a problem there. I was so good last week ignoring desserts being eaten at the same table, I encouraged my oh to make an apple pie, overseeing it and fully driving myself into food envy.

I know that eating the pie at home will destroy the food boundaries I have set, but if it’s in a restaurant maybe that’s different.
It’s probably just that I don’t have experience of being in a successful weight loss situation before, I have no idea how strict to be with myself.

Day 4… doesn’t seem like much but psychologically it feels huge. Starting to understand that just because I think about food ( a lot!) doesn’t mean I need to eat! Keeping rigidly to 800kcal a day (been under for all 3 days :o) ) and trying to associate the feeling of being hungry with success. Keeping positive really helps.

Managed to decline home made chips & desserts at Saturday’s birthday party and no roasties or mash with my roast dinner yesterday – a little lamb and lots of veg did the trick! Treated myself to a small fruit salad last night (low cal but I know the carbs mount up) – figured it’s better than cake! Also eating *really* slowly to try and trigger those ‘full’ enzymes sooner – it works.

Looked at lots of apps and then realised that the Samsung My Health app does everything I need it to! Keeping that updated after every meal & snack really gives me a boost. Feeling less bloated and (dare I say it?) lighter with every day that passes!

Posting to keep track of my mood (currently v positive – and less tired than usual!) and as an incentive to keep going (how self indulgent!)

Thanks to all you lovely people for your success stories and for keeping going through the odd blip – I know I’m going to have those over the next week or two, especially skiing next week!, and seeing how you approach minor setbacks is encouraging :o)

Happy Monday!
CC

Hi Patricia.
I know, personally, it’s not good to allow those foods even on special occasions. Instead, fill up on low carb foods that you like. Believe me, it’s a double-edged sword. Dr. Fung says the idea that you can allow yourself a “little” of what you love, or sugar, or cake. . . whatever, isn’t a sound one because all it does it bring back the cravings and keep you tied to them.
A few months ago, I said I would NEVER give up sweets. But here I am, giving them up for good and not missing them. I love pizza and if I go out to eat pizza, I will scrape off the toppings and not eat the crust which is one of my favorite parts but it’s a compromise that I feel I have to make. I can think of few actual restaurants that wouldn’t have plenty you can eat. Salad with full fat dressing, nice cuts of meat, sauteed veg.
It’s best if we don’t tie our good times and events to food and drink, but feel great about being able to partake with healthy alternatives. Believe me, you’ll be happier the next day!
Max.

Congrats on a successful 4 days, Custardcrumble! The first week is the hardest!
If you’re feeling tired, try drinking some salty broth. I recently learned this technique as I’m occasionally tired and grumpy. It doesn’t have to be bone broth, I just use the regular powdered chicken broth.
Stay strong!
Max.

ThinkThin – I think you will be pleasantly surprised when you weigh-in tomorrow, at how much progress you have already made. Enjoy your celebrations with your son this week, where possible make good BSD choices, but don’t worry if things go a bit off piste as a one off for such a special occasion.
Scottishgal – Wow! You have done brilliantly and even with the plateau you are managing to stay upbeat. Keep right on going. If things don’t start moving downward again soon, double check you carb intake and hydration as these are key, but I’m sure you’ll soon be seeing the scales going in the right direction in a day or two though.
Patricia – sorry, I don’t remember how long you have been here with us on the BSD, but eating out or for a special occasion or holidaying whilst on the BSD – especially for the first time – can feel really daunting, but the key is to manage the carbs and not panic too much about the calories.
We are in this for the long haul, so occasionally extending the calorie intake is not a problem. Always try to make BSD friendly choices avoiding high carb items and don’t worry too much about the calories. Yes, you could occasionally permit yourself a small dessert, but if you don’t think you can eat it and leave it at that, maybe opt for a cheese board instead. I personally very rarely eat a dessert anywhere especially at home, but sometimes there will be something on a menu that sounds really tempting and I will allow myself a little divergence, in the knowledge I will be straight back to the BSD life style the next day. It’s important to make conscious decisions to diverge from the BSD path though and to enjoy it mindfully, so that you don’t find yourself using it as an excuse to give up and plough on in the wrong direction.

Looking forward to reading everyone’s end of week results tomorrow – although not my own I fear! Keep on keeping on folks … we can do it together.

Custardcrumble – you’re sounding very upbeat and it’s great that you are recognising the psychological issues and managing to counter them. The first week or so is definitely challenging, but it seems you are well in control at the moment – well done. Be sure to include good fats in you meals, as these too help with feeling full and stay feeling that way for longer.
Do think about joining us on the Positive Thoughts thread, as this is one that many find uplifting, where we post anything that we are finding positive in life and gives us a chance to acknowledge and sharing what’s good in our lives on any given day.
Be assured whatever you need to do to keep going, is not a problem here, so check in with a mood check anytime.

Hi Everyone,
I actually started my week 1 on Mon so here goes with my results I am 4.4 kg (9.7 lbs) lighter my blood sugars were better but I had porridge (as per the plan in the book) on Sunday and they popped back up 🙄 but I have also 2.5 inches from my waist….I can’t quite believe it but I measured 3 times..its incredible! My weight loss has really started to slow in the last couple of days so it will be interesting to sed if this is now my ‘pace’ after my initial big drop 😊 proper chuffed so far 🙌

ShellBob44, 2.5 inches in a week?! That’s incredible, what an inspiration! I can’t wait to see how my figures pop out on Friday (my week one) not expecting quite such a dramatic change but I just noticed I’m back to my old belt hole already, so who knows!

Keep up the good work!
CC

Shellbob – wow!! Huge well done, what a brilliant result! Weight discard is not linear, so expect slowing, stalls, etc. It doesn’t matter how quickly the pounds melt away, as long as they do and overall the trend is downward. Sure this time next week you will be reporting something wonderfully positive again.

CCrumble – even moving down a notch on your belt is a step in the right direction. Will look forward to reading your results at the end of your week.

This week has been static – neither down nor UP (thank goodness)
I’m happy with that as I’m struggling with intermittent passing out at the moment so haven’t been going out much and my only real movement has been at home on my exercise bike. I’m also limited in what food I can buy as I obviously can’t drive right now. Pretty depressing and doubly so as my appointment with the neurological specialist re the functioning of my Vagus Nerve has been postponed. Guess we in the UK realise how much pressure the health service is under and I DO understand, but waiting is hard. I don’t think this is life threatening but it’s certainly quality-of- life- threatening – though I may have to get used to the changes.
In the meantime I have been much interested in all the posts here and sympathised/empathised with so many. I love the support everyone offers each other and am most grateful for it. I feel bad that I’m not contributing at the moment but I’m in a poor place right now – hope you’ll all forgive me and also hope that joining in the next chain of this thread will be OK.
Want to thank WoodDuckie for excellent hints on changing my coffee drinking – adding cream and vanilla instead of honey which is working out well (quack quack, Duckie – am grateful to you) and makes me feel like I am doing something good for myself.
I have been re-reading my Judith Beck Diet Solution and whilst the system and practices are not for me, I am reminded that what I took from it was ‘hunger is not an emergency’. That is close to my heart because it has helped me learn – and stick with – the fact that I am not going to sink into a decline if I do not satisfy hunger/cravings immediately. Thus I don’t snack all the time – I wait. I now also know – from all of you that it’s the carbs that drive the cravings so, by avoiding carbs I am almost never urgently hungry now. A real relief that it has taken me the best part of my life to ‘get’. I’m so grateful that I have.
Best of success to all this next week.

Reducia – static is fine and nothing to be concerned or ashamed about, you’re doing great. Of course you will be very welcome to ride along with us on the next weekly thread, we’ll be pleased to have you there. Sorry you medical issues don’t seem to be any further along with regard to a solution, but do what you can BSD and exercise wise and keep posting, so that we can offer little suggestions and support where we can.
You are right about feeling hungry – I’d even go as far as saying as citizens of the western world, it’s unlikely any of us has ever experienced ‘real’ hunger – and nine times out of ten we are capable of riding out the hunger pangs we do experience. As you say, they are almost never urgent.
Looking forward to seeing you on the next thread ….

It sounds like you’re having a tough week Reducia, sending you a hug 💝
Custardcrumble thanks very much….I’m at the stage of total disbelief and that when I wake up tomorrow it will all be back!

FEELING REALLY HUNGRY NOW though….just putting that out there…

Also do I need to subscribe to a new thread to stay with this lovely group next week?

The new weekly thread is already set up, so yes, please join us there Shellbob. Sorry today is proving a bit challenging, but I’m confident you’ll be fine – your results so far will spur you on. Looking forward to seeing you on the new thread ….

Hi Patricia1066, I’m thinking to go with crudités for a starter, and going to base my main around fish and vegetables or some sort of salad.
The Saturday night is going to be harder as there will be alcohol involved 😃
Enjoy your orchestra x

Hi all
SunnyB – thanks for your soothing and constructive response – much needed at the moment! Need to pull myself together and make the best of things. Also need to cadge a lift to a bigger food outlet than I have close by. It shall be done.
Shellbob – thanks for the hug – very gratefully received. I’m sure ‘it’ won’t all be back tomorrow! Hang in there with the hunger – I’ve found in the past that when I resisted and stuck with whatever plan I’d made, the satisfaction of doing that saved me – not only in that moment – but also made me more resilient for the future. Best of fortitude to you.

Hi Reducia,
Sounds like a plan. The 800 is so far below our calorie requirement that one day with increased calories won’t derail us.

Thanks Patricia1066 – I can mostly deal with the food choices these days – tho of course I slip along the carbs/cals pathway occasionally. Wine is different problem and WAS derailing me. I used to drink it by the gallon almost and it would send me into a small frenzy of consuming everything I could get my hands on. Got to a point where I expected excessive consumption on my own behalf and others expected it of me too. I just had to put a stop to it – lower weight – better BSLs – general health were all calling and somehow I found what it took to improve my habits and my health. Not easy but it’s done now and I haven’t lost friends over it as I feared I might. Phew! There is hope for all of us – especially helped by the wisdom and friendship here. I just want to keep thanking everyone all the time.

Well a poor one pound drop for me this week. My aim was to stay at 35g of carbs a day or less this week but a quick check shows my average was 40g a day. So therein lies the answer. Must try harder!

Hi V, any discard is a result so embrace it. I have spent a week flipping up and down, to end at exactly where I was this time last week. However like you, I have to admit that things got flaky – there were days when weighing, measuring and recording didn’t happen, so I have to own it.
Hope others have had a successful week and will look forward to seeing everyone on the new weekly thread.

THIS IS FOR NEE. I know we have moved on to another weekly thread (and that week is racing by!) but where are you? We want to hear you are well (“results” are irrelevant!).

CALLING ONETOWATCH – sorry I vanished and missed replying to your 7 Feb post – re IVF – very happy to chat about any aspect. If absolutely anything from my experience can be of use to you or anyone on their journey, I’ll share it! x