Wendy so pleased to hear you have a fantastic team around you that is so important. Just hope all is well soon but no more high jinks on rotten wood, but thank goodness for dustbins!

We are all grateful to receive your update today, Wendy. I certainly know what it feels like to have life suddenly turned
upside down. I’m so very relieved to know that LTT has no brain trauma. His wings will be clipped for a bit, but I know that
you will manage his aftercare with determination and much love, in the same manner that you approach all of us. I know
that you will be “on the case”, seeing to his pain management, too! Please take good care of yourself, Cutie, and tell
LTT that “his girls” send their love 🙂

SunnyB – thank you for the warm welcome. Just read through your profile and was absolutely amazed by your achievements, especially the fact that you’ve maintained for so long which I’ve always heard must be the hardest part. Very encouraging to read!
Wendy – what a terrifying story, so sorry to read about your husband’s freak accident. Hope he feels much better very soon and that his lungs weren’t adversely affected.
Verano – I like the idea of making declarations. Mine would have to be “no nibbles with my coffee during coffee break” and “nothing that I have not brought from home”. Those two together should make sure I do not eat those office cookies that are proving detrimental to me at the moment.
BikeyGuy – There might not be any carbs in those spirits you mentioned but from my experience they’re full of “loss of self-control” and “excuses to start making bad food choices”, so I’ll be very impressed if you can have those and still stay on the BSD haha

Wishing you all a lovely day!

Very best wishes to you and husband, Wendy. So sorry to hear about his accident, and relieved to hear that he is getting the best care. You take care of yourself too. xx

Wendy, so glad that your OH is not as badly damaged as might have been and that he is getting the best of care. I have no doubt that you will be watching him like a hawk and ensuring he takes things easy until he is fully recovered. Please, Please remember to take care of yourself too and not just your OH and the garden and accept any help offered no matter from what quarter, until all is right with your world again.

Hi pcoops, I’m the token male on this thread.
I’m well aquainted with both of the traits you mention, but have adapted the second slightly. I sometimes refer to it as “excuses to start making bad choices” 🙂 My favourite tipples are laden with calories/carbs, so I’ve got the blinkers on right now and am keeping on course.
I’ve been fast800 for 9.5wks now, and can say hand on heart that I haven’t touched a drop since the day before starting. Also happy to announce that as of yesterday I’ve discarded 31lbs. I had an early start this morning to drop off the car at the local garage, got home, had meal 1 and remembered that I’d forgotten to weigh myself at the usual time – which is shortly after first loo visit in the morning and before food (I’ll take any advantage!). Wondering what tomorrow on the scales will bring . . .

Great going BikeyGuy!
I’m just happy that it’s after 6pm and I’ve resisted crisp breads, usually breakfast or lunch, not a nut passed my lips at cocktail hour, but the gin did! Well I am on holiday after all. So that just leaves chocolate with my coffee tonight, I’m sure I will resist, and cheese after dinner ….. not tonight Josephine!
Will report tomorrow.
Have a good day/evening/night!

That’s very kind of you Verano – ta!
Sounds like you’re enjoying your holiday. I think they might be where I’ll need to really concentrate, I can’t see me being as dedicated as I am here, but loads of time to plan for that – and from what I can gather fast800 is quite forgiving after a wee lapse or side-step. You just jump back on!
I saw you mention HbA1c in an earlier post and that your average is 5ish. Before I started, I had most of the tests at the back of the fast800 book done at the local GP and she seemed quite happy with my results. I’ve found that there are a few different ways of measuring this and that mine is 39 in the range 20-41 on IFCC, or 5.7 on your version.
The internet being a dangerous thing, I’ve found “For people without diabetes, the normal range for the hemoglobin A1c level is between 4% and 5.6%. Hemoglobin A1c levels between 5.7% and 6.4% mean you have a higher chance of getting diabetes. Levels of 6.5% or higher mean you have diabetes.” I intend having the tests carried out again after 12 weeks to see what’s happened to my body, but can anyone tell me if HbA1c reduces as a result of eating low carb on fast800, (I’ve just been noting calories, so far) or is there a simple connection to weight loss?

BikeyGuy, I adore your sense of humour with the comment about clear spirits being self-evidently calorie free – well done that man 😊

In terms of your question about diabetes numbers, there will be others on here who can offer more detailed information than me because, thanks to a miracle of genetics, it’s not something I struggle with. (Though maybe there but for the grace of God, etc, had I not found my way to this WOE.) But, my understanding is that diabetes control with this WOE is directly attributable to the low carbs, not the weight loss. So you can be skinny as a rail, eating high carb foods and have dangerously high blood sugar. Or you can be fat as butter, eat very low carb, and watch those blood sugar numbers fall even if the scales don’t move a gram (or pound).

And the HbA1c is your average measure—sorry you probably know that already—so if you’ve been low carb for a while, and your numbers have therefore been low, it’ll come back with a lower measure than if your numbers had regularly been high.

I think a few people on here have actually had continuous monitors for a while so they could immediately see what each meal did to their blood sugar. I remember Arcticfox had one a little while ago and she reported some interesting things about what spiked her blood sugar (e.g. I think she found that reheated pasta led to a spike just the same as freshly cooked pasta, despite some theories to the contrary—everybody’s reactions are different I guess. Arcticfox I’m nearly sure that was you, but so sorry if I’m attributing that wrongly!!).

So my understanding is low carb = lower blood sugar = reduced risk of diabetes/more control of diabetes etc (depending where you started). Without regard to reduction in pounds.

But, I hasten to add this is classic Elky “yeah, here’s a cheap rip off version of CliffsNotes on the science-y thingy” 😊 I’m sure someone else will come along in a sec with a “Yes, well, I think what Elky probably meant to get at was…” LOL

Wendy, I’m so relieved that the news about your husband is good! We’ll muddle through without nagging for a little bit while you focus on him 😉 Hugs!

pcoops, welcome aboard 😊

Verano, well done on resisting the crisp breads and nuts!!

Hello to everyone else, have a grand day all, Elky

BikeyGuy – I’m not diabetic and I haven’t had my HbA1C tested, but for the month of June I was wearing a continuous glucose monitor in order to get a handle on my reactive hypoglycemia and to see which foods were causing me to spike and crash. The monitor also provided an estimate of what my HbA1C might be based on my average blood glucose levels. Just by evening out the hills and valleys over the course of the month, I managed to reduce my estimated HbA1C from 33 down to 30. I’m not calorie counting at the moment, so this was a pleasant unexpected side effect, and I’m not eating as low carb as some, but I was able to figure out which carbs were causing a spike and crash or extended elevated blood glucose (frozen pizza was the absolute worst!) and eliminate them.
Wendy – so sorry to hear about your husband. As someone who spent the last year recovering from a fall and head injury, I can certainly sympathize, although I was lucky because my bone density and hypermobile joints did save me from any broken bones. I had some ribs pop out of place though, and that was painful enough, I can’t imagine what broken ones would feel like! Best wishes for his recovery.
At the moment, I am making plans for my inaugural cycle home from work on Friday. It is supposed to be a bit cooler that day due to some very welcome overnight rain, and it will be the start of one of the busiest traffic weekends of the summer, so everyone leaving the city has to pass by my workplace and will clogg up the roads making it impossible for me to get home in a timely fashion in my car. So, bike on the bus in the morning, and a slow steady ride home along the dyke after work instead of stressful sitting in traffic. Who knows, if things are tied up enough, I may even get home faster on my bike!

Just wanted to send a hello and hugs to Wendy. I hope your husband is feeling better, and that you can still have a lovely time with your son’s visit. X

Bikey guy – made me chuckle there with the token male comment. You chose an aptly manly name, too, just to underline it! Anyways, what an amazing discard you’ve got going there! Hope the scales were even kinder to you this morning.
Verano, how’d it go with the coffee last night?
I’m just glad it’s August now. I know it’s just a crutch but it always feels great to start a new month and see it as a fresh start. Have a great day everyone! I’m determined to ignore all the cookies at coffee break today.

Good morning. Day 1 of my new regime worked pretty well. I did have one square of chocolate with my coffee and two nuts, one Brazil and one walnut. No cheese so for me that is a huge improvement. New day and a new challenge but if I did it yesterday I can do it today as well!
Have a good Thursday and welcome to August.

That is stellar, Verano! No cheese and no crispbreads. Almost 9 weeks for me since I last touched bread! Harder to give up than cigarettes, for sure! Good for you! 🙂 Good for us! 🙂 I’ve been over eating the good stuff though as apart from a 3 lb loss the week before last doing the egg fast round 1, half of that went back on at the weekend and nothing lost since. I will weigh tomorrow and report on the August thread.

pcoops – and, you’ve just made me chuckle with your ‘aptly manly name’ sentence. I was amused by that, too.
I’ve also just been saying the same thing about the beginning of the month being all lovely and fresh and new. I’m glad for August 1st, too. Hope it goes well for you.

Hi BikeyGuy – teasing aside, that’s great going in 9.5 weeks. Well done that man! I’m Type II diabetic so thought I’d pick up on the HbA1c and carb question.
On the HbA1c, in the UK, the HbA1c (mmol/mol) figures are defined as: normal range = below 6% (i.e. below 42), pre-diabetic (at greater risk) is defined as between 6% and 6.4% (42 to 47), and diabetic as 6.5% or over (i.e. over 48 ). So, your figure of 38 falls in the normal range. As far as I’m aware WHO also use these figures (not completely sure on this).
The American Diabetes Association used to (think it’s still true but not checked recently) define normal and prediabetic differently – normal is below 5.7% and pre-diabetic is between 5.7% and 6.4%. I think they tally with the figures you saw on the internet. If you used those figures your 38 would be closer to being defined as prediabetic.

As far as reducing hba1c on Fast800 by reducing carbs I think it would work. Basically, carbs turn into sugar in the body (who knew, not me) so that’s why reducing carbs help reduce hbA1c. I used the Blood Sugar Diet (which is not massively different from fast800) but combined it with reducing carbs (from personal experiences on here in 2016, and advice on diabetes forums as well as recognised experts). I reduced my Hba1c from very high (12%) to normal (5.5%). Lots of others have done the same.
Hope this is helpful.

Jennie xx

Thanks Kazz. Now I really do feel accountable! Well done for kicking the bread habit. I have come to terms with bread and very occasionally have a small piece of really good bread. I enjoy it without guilt or craving. Rice and pasta hold absolutely no appeal anymore. In fact I thought I would try a tablespoon of paella rice last week but it was just like pure stodge in my mouth. Yuck! I’m not sure about potatoes. I don’t eat them but I do think I could become addicted again so I don’t try! It’s amazing how your taste buds change over time or maybe we just become so well trained we think we don’t like these foods anymore!

Wendy – just wanted to say best wishes to your husband, and as others have said, remember to take care of yourself, too xx

I sent a long post which has not appeared…maybe it still will.Sorry folks x

Don’t worry Wendy, we know you have much more important things to attend to right now, so we’ll keep things rolling here. Take care.

Late morning here in Tas (and yes, at my work desk but need a short distraction while my office warms up!)-so hi to all
Wendy glad to hear you husband’s on the mend….but broken ribs are SO painful poor fella
Bikeyguy-I would love to report looses like yours at the end of my 8 weeks (but I also know that en usually “discard” faster than post-menopausal women!!)
pcoops-I’m with you on the repercussions of a tipple (dammit!!)
So yesterday I registered actually in nutritional ketosis-but unsure whether I’m burning the fats I’d eaten or my endogenous fat 😉 ….time will tell but as I’m also keeping to close to 800 things should start to move

I didn’t weigh myself at the start but more keen to fit back into my old clothes, anyway (oh, and v keen to get a thinner facial pic when I have to renew my passport in the next few weeks!!-vain, I know, but as you only renew every five years….)

next week will aim to up the exercise beyond the twice-daily dog walks!

Morning all.
Just popping in to say hello and goodbye, as I know I disappeared for a few weeks!

Wend – hope your hubby recovers soon, sounds a nasty fall.

I was struggling to keep up with all the posts (still do, and don’t like to post if I haven’t got time to read and offer support to others) and then developed sinusitis, so have had some time away from the forums. The sinusitis is still causing some problems, but it’s better than it was, thankfully!

Anyway, it was rather rude of me to disappear 😁 so thought I’d pop back briefly. Having done F800 for 8 weeks, I wanted to try something new so over the last few weeks I’ve been transitioning over from Fast 800 to a keto / intermittent fasting protocol (Jason Fung style) and after 4 weeks transition I plan to try this for 8 weeks and see how it compares.

Last Tuesday was my Week 12 weigh in overall and I’m 43.4lbs down at this point. I expect things to slow up now I’ve changed protocol, but we shall see. Still around 89lb to go, so plenty of work ahead!

Hope you all have a pleasant Friday folks!

Hi BeeGirl
Just reading the latest posts and wanted to say what a fantastic result – 43lbs down, that’s brilliant. It’ll be interesting to hear how you get on with the keto/intermittent fasting and how the Fast800 and the Jason Fung-type way of eating compare. It was a comparison I thought about doing with the BSD but never quite got round to.
Best wishes
Jennie xx

Hi BeeGirl,
Glad to hear from you, we all get concerned about the supporting people who disappear from the forum. (If you haven’t been reading posts recently we just had the very rare experience of a negative individual who took out their frustrations on other forum members and has just thankfully flounced off.)

Well done with your losses so far and good luck with your next steps. – I think you are very wise to go keto at this stage. One of the main positives of this site is our freedom to discuss other protocols and our experiences of them. I do hope you will pop in to the forum from time to time to update us on your progress.

A few weeks ago I came across a keto conference with a range of interesting speakers. I have been meaning to listen to all the podcasts from the conference and then post links to each podcast with a brief note on the topic of that talk on the take a look at this thread. So far I have only had time to listed to a couple one of which struck such a chord with me that I have already posted that link. – If you follow it you will be able to use it to link to all the other podcasts from the same conference.

Good morning. Day 2 went well for me. No crispbreads, no nuts, no cheese and just one square of chocolate. So really pleased.
Have a good day.

Hi all, just a little moan. What a waste of calories and carbs (yes I did sneak a couple of chips and a piece of artisan French bread). Went out for lunch to meet friends and they didn’t turn up. We waited an hour and decided to order just for ourselves as by 1pm it was too late to go back home and prepare something 800 friendly. Turned out they were at Bistro de Malfourat and we were at Bistro de Vigier. Total misunderstanding. Hey ho. No dinner tonight. Also I had a 30 in swim when we got back home.

Haven’t had time to catch up on all the posts. Just popping in to say that my first cycle home from work in over 2 years was a success (and by that I mean that I am still alive!). I ended up taking a slightly longer but more pleasant route that kept me out of traffic almost completely, so it was actually around 36km instead of 32. It took me about 1hr and 45min so even though it felt like I was just meandering along most of the time, I still completed it faster than google predicted. I used an online bicycling calorie counter which says I burned more than 1100 calories. I hope that is true! It is cheering me up considerably because this morning I had put on a ton of water weight again (well 2kg, but it still feels and looks like a ton). I know it’s just water, but I don’t seem to be able to get rid of it once it comes on, so I’m just getting heavier and heavier every month instead of lighter and lighter. Very frustrating, but hopefully extra calories burned from cycling will soon start having an effect.

Hey @beegirl, I just noticed your post about J Fung and I have also transitioned to Keto/IF as per the advise found in the obesity code and fasting guide books. I got onto it through this forum actually. Fast 800 is/was a powerful tool for me to initially lose weight but I have done calorie counting before and I know it’s not something that is sustainable for me long term. My mind is just too full with looking after 3 little persons, 1 business and 1 high level office job. I need something less taxing and found that IF was really good for my situation as you just don’t eat. That’s hard to beat in terms of preparation and execution time. I feel I could keep this up long term, but only time will tell. Anyway I’ll keep myself accountable through the forum as I know there are many other options here, and life isn’t linear – a protocol that suits for a while might not be suitable at other times. One has to be flexible 🙂
Anyway I’d love to chat about your Dr J Fung experience.
@ArticFox, 36km! Well done!! I commute on a bike too, but my commute is a small 6km 🙂 I still love the feeling of freedom that cycling provide. I get too work all happy and bushy tailed.
@sunshine-girl I had to laugh at the miscommunication re: the restaurant name. What are the chances! I hope the lunch you had was nice so it isn’t a complete waste of calories 😉
@verano going strong, well done

Day 3 was not quite as good as the previous days. No crispbreads, no nuts, only 1 inch cube of blue cheese but two squares of chocolate. So not a disaster but will try harder today!
Have a good weekend.

Morning all, first of my love and hugs go to Wendy and her husband and I hoping that he has a good and as quick as possible recovery.😘

I for one don’t think I would have got through this last month without Wendy, she has been here for me on the forum and off too. She is a constant in my life and I feel very privileged to have her and call her my friend, thank you Wendy xx❤️❤️

All of you on this forum are such a great support to each and everyone of us and for that I will always be truly grateful 🤗🤗🤗🥰🥰🥰

Today my son, OH and me are off to Brighton Pride 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈. I have treated myself to a hell bunny 1950’s dress and tutu petticoat for the occasion and I feel like a little girl dressing up like a princess 😂😂❤️ I hope you all have a fabulous day and weekend. Here’s to our continued support of one another!💖 love and hugs Birdy 🦜💞

Welcome back beegirl and well done on your weight lots. A brilliant achievement. Glad you’re feeling better too.
I think sometimes life gets in the way with the forum. I’m struggling to keep up with it at the moment too. And to be honest I couldn’t be hassled with the comments going on last week from the person who has since left! At times I did try to comment and support those who were being targeted.
Wendy, hope OH is improving and recovering well. Been thinking of you both.
Have a great time birdy.

Hi everyone. So sorry not to be so active but I have come up with a time management solution.I now bring my computer into the hospital and log on when hubby is having his breathing therapy (to prevent pulmonary complications) because he can’t speak to me then.It happens 2 or 3 times a day. This is going to be a long recovery process. Hubby will probably be in this ressus unit all next Week and a stretch in a rehab/physio centre has been mentioned. It will get easier when the pain eases a bit and he is more mobile .Early days yet.
Trying to post using my mobile was difficult as my posts disappear if someone messages or calls and I can’t easily read the previous posts.
So I will do that today . I will be checking on the August thread too. I am really struggling to eat at the moment but Allie, Verano and others have insisted I try to get some protein in me. I get home late and cooking is not an option then but I have fish , prawns etc , halloumi , avocados and salad I must prepare.
Even if circumstances are a bit difficult right now I will do my utmost to keep the thread going because it is dear to me . Thank you so much SunnyB and other lovely people for keeping the flame burning and welcoming new members . Our strength here is our unwavering support and care for others xxx

Wendleg, I am so sorry to hear that, but it does sound like your OH is being so well-looked after. It is certainly not the summer you must have been envisaging, but it will be such a support to you to have your son back very very soon, and you also mentioned your sister will be with you in a couple of weeks. And we are all sending positive vibes – and yes, you must definitely look after yourself; I know that’s probably easy to say. But please do.
BeeGirl, I echo others: that is an amazing result! How are your pink boxing gloves going? The last post I remember is when your poor hand was really swollen – not boxing but something else beginning with B….It would be lovely to hear from you now and then.
I hope everyone else is well. It is so nice and sunny in London, so difficult to imagine the terrible conditions in the north. Emergency services/RAF and engineers who are working all hours to pump water/shore up that dam are unsung heroes….

Hi Wendleg, I am sending lots of positive thoughts! Please don’t apologise for less time on the forum – you have given so much, now it is time for us to give back. We will all help to keep things ticking over. Don’t forget some good full fat yoghurt with raspberries and walnuts as a wholesome evening snack. Take care of yourself, and I hope you can still enjoy the time with your son and sister despite all the pressures.

Hi Wendy,
I am sorry to hear how serious your husbands injuries are. Please do give as much care to yourself as you do for others. If nothing else inspires you, remember you will need to build your strength up ready for when your husband is released from hospital and will need your support at home.

Wendy, I too am sorry to hear how serious things are with your hubby. Dont forget to look after yourself too so you can do the best you can for him.

I echo what Birdy said, Wendy, you have been there so much for me, let us all be there for you. Love you and sending best wishes to your husband xxx

Hi Wendy, sorry to hear of your struggles at the moment. One suggestion that I have for food is smoothies made from kefir, some greens like spinach and berries. You can mix some extra protein powder in as well and maybe some avocado to improve the protein and fat to carb ratio. If I want it to be more of a treat I will mix some cocoa powder in as well. I’ve been through some times when I’ve been too stressed to eat solid food and this has really helped me. Also, one time when I hurt my jaw and couldn’t chew and I was too busy to cook, I just made blender soups. For instance, broccoli and grated cheddar in the blender with a bit of green onion and pepper and enough water to make a soup consistency, blend it up and keep in the fridge and then just heat in the microwave as needed. Creamy asparagus is another one that is quite good. Not as tasty as a properly cooked soup, but fairly passable.
Hope things start to get better soon. These early days of rehabbing injuries can be tough, but there is light at the end of the tunnel, even if you can’t see it yet.

Thanks everyone for your good wishes. Feeling better this evening as hubby seems more stable re pain management and he is snoring with gay abandon as I write this. Yes it will take time. Would you believe the nurse in this unit has only 2 patients to look after on her shift today ? On a normal ward she would have 30.
Thank you so much articfox for your food suggestions. I often forget to think smoothies after weaning myself off my mega fruit ones but your idea is great.I know you fully understand what we are going through xxxx

Armloads of love and understanding are here for you Wendy, and it’s really what we do best! We “circle the wagons”,
and there have been some truly excellent suggestions being sent to you about how you might keep your energy
and strength up during this time when food is hard to face. I don’t normally believe in shakes, but they might be
tailor made for you right now. Articfox, using a good quality protein powder is an inspired thought! I’ve been where
our dearest Wendy is in the not too distant past, and I know that I would have been able to drink a meal then, when
a plate of food would have made me gag. You are all wonderful beyond words, and I’m grateful for each of you. 🙂
Sleep well tonight, Wendy! Call on us anytime….You know that I’m no farther away than the phone. 🙂 🙂 🙂

I promise you dear Allie that I have eaten tonight :
avocado, a tomato from the garden, lamb’s lettuce and some halloumi with olive oïl.
I also had some yoghurt with chia seeds.
So OMAD is progress from NO MAD ! I must admit I didn’t really feel that hungry but I did my best.
I know you are there for me Allie.xx
Hubby seemed more comfortable with the adjusted pain relief as the day wore on but he is quite sleepy. I hope we both have a better night tonight.I am going to go to bed soon.
Thank you lovely people for all your good wishes and I will be in touch tomorrow xxx
Keep going everyone xx

Hi all. Things are going pretty well so far. I have kept carbs under about 50 net carbs per day this week, but Wednesday and Friday I was very hungry allowed myself to eat 1500 calories of low carb food. Other days I kept to 800. Hopefully as I continue on my hunger will decrease.
This morning I was 170.9 lbs, so down from 178 from starting the day after I turned 31, 27th of July. I know most of that is just water weight/ inflammation but I am still feeling really good about it. Soon to be in the 160’s I hope and braced for it to slow down.

Hi LimitedEditionBonusPack (I have to ask about the name…. I imagine you casting your eye about for something; I might have ended up as BifensisDualDefence (cat food)). I am glad you are feeling good, you really should, that’s 1/2 a stone! I hope you enjoy your church lunch tomorrow (Sunday),and don’t worry about counting! I also hope that our Southern Hemisphere buddies are all good. Looking forward to hearing from them, tho they may be busy shoo-ing pademelons and other marsupials, and parrots, off their prize blooms. I have mentioned to Duckie that as far as I’m concerned, the whole continent of Australia is off-limits to me on the off-chance I might encounter a huntsman (I don’t care how harmless they are alleged to be…). Elky, did Tasmania escape the nightmare version of natural diversity?? (along with the huntsman, the funnel webs, salties, great whites…..shivers…).

Hi all from wintry Tasmania!
spent yesterday in the garden in bout 3 degrees!!!! preparing the garden beds for spring planting now that OH has made a fence that not only keeps the browsing mammals out but the dog in!! huge win! Less than four weeks til Spring, but sure doesn’t feel it

Wendy glad you’re feeling a little more positive about the long road ahead….keep all your allies close including the online ones….but esp the ones there with you!

Birdy76-go gladly on the pride….these things are SO important for our vulnerable ones

sixturkeys-we do have spiders in Tas but not so many huntsmen as the mainland (maybe too cold)….but I do remember living in NSW we had to give up our bedroom and sleep in a tent when we had creature-phobic visitors from Europe! 😉 ….sharks give me the heepy geebies too, don’t worry….but you can just swim close to shore in patrolled areas and you’re fine

Anyhow….all well here on the BSD-I made the Flax Flatbreads from the online recipe file….very tasty with dried rosemary powder (which I make myself in the spice grinder) dusted before baking with some maldon salt before baking. However they’re still reasonably calorie dense and the sort of thing I could easily overdo so ‘m going to give them to a friend!

Back to the garden to weed and prep the last veggie bed and mulch Spring-ready!

have a great Sunday everyone

Oh 6T, had to stop by as I roared with laughter about your huntsman comment!! It really did make my morning. I’m in Canberra, it’s EC who’s in Tas, but don’t worry the blasted spiders are everywhere.

The rest of your list of horrors are more manageable as they don’t come indoors, but huntsmen- yep, they’ll pop in without troubling to wipe their size 10 boots. (And don’t forget the snakes – you left them off your list 😉)

A few years ago there was a very funny Facebook post from a Sydney cop shop, can’t remember which one, but it showed up all round the world in the press. Two cops got called to a disturbance in a block of flats in Sydney, neighbours complained of yelling, a woman screaming, furniture being thrown, a man threatening to kill someone. Cops knock on the door, an Englishman answers. Cops ask to speak to his wife or girlfriend. He says he’s single and alone. Cops ask to come in, they see furniture overturned. Ask what’s going on, explain neighbours heard a woman screaming. Man confesses he hadn’t been in Australia long and found a spider, wanted to kill it. Cops ask about the high pitched screaming. Man goes red and explains that it was a very big spider … cops leave. There is no record of whether or not the man jumped on the next flight out 😂

I shouldn’t laugh because they terrify me too. When I was a kid I used to make Dad kill them, none of this just putting them outside business, they might come back in. And I had to see the corpse before I’d settle down – no good telling me it was dead when it had really just run under the fridge. I was clearly a suspicious child 😂

And although they’re not venomous, I’ve had tree surgeons tell me they give you a nasty nip. Just what you need when you’re up a ladder with a chainsaw…

OK I’ll stop now, I admit I’m just engaging in the old Australian pastime of telling horror stories about the local wildlife. No doubt the tourism board will be after me with a stick. (Any other Aussie want to jump in with drop bears and hoop snakes 😂)

Wendy, I’m so pleased to hear that you were able to eat and that T is more comfortable. Big hugs, hon.

Hello to everyone else, hope you’re having a good weekend.

Cheers Elky

Hi SixTurkeys, I am planning on enjoying the meal tomorrow, I’ll try to keep it low carb though! :). The name is from joking with my husband, telling him he better enjoy ‘aaaaaall this’ while it lasts because it’s limited edition, and soon the 25% more of me he’s been getting for free will be gone 🙈…lol.

Just want to pop in briefly to send hugs to you Wendy. Thinking of you and your OH and the difficult times you are going through right now. You have been great on the forum so please look after yourself and take whatever time out you need to deal with things. We’ll all be here waiting for you and thinking of you. I promise to be good in your absence

Hi everyone.
Today is a much better day.Hubby sounded much brighter on the phone this morning so no need for private weepy moments in the car on the drive in. The good news is that the pain relief is now well balanced and is working effectively. Hubby was able to get from the bed to the chair without hunching himself up against the pain and she shocked the nurse when he rose to full height for the first time as he is 6 foot 3 and a bit !!
He has been eating better too. This is day 6 of Awful August for us but the doctor said things should improve from now on. No pulmonary complications so far thank goodness. Next week will be key .

I told you I ate last night and it was a relief to sleep without the achy legs I had been experiencing on the days my digestive system shut down. Food stopped my legs aching, result !
I hope that I won’t have to take time out ( I check in here when hubby is incomunicado ) and anyway I need to keep my beady eye on Scottishgal so she doesn’t start scoffing chocolate eclair sweets or worse !!
Wishing everyone a good day and I am as always so grateful for your good wishes xxxxx
Wendy xxx

This is really excellent news, Wendy! Every bit of progress matters 🙂 LTT is such a positive person, and his
wonderful sense of humor will carry him through, I know. I’m greatly relieved that you are looking after yourself,
too! Soon your son will be with you, and that will be an enormous help as well. Hang in there, my dear dear
friend! xxxxxxx

I’m so glad they’ve got the pain under control Wendy, that makes all the difference if your husband can get some sleep and not be in pain — such positive news!! And I’m happy you have been able to eat a bit.
Sending you warm wishes,
Julia

I am so glad things are improving for you and your hubby, Wendy. I truly hope this coming week will be a good one for you both.
I’m also pleased to hear that you’re not intending to take a break from the forum. You’re such an inspiration to us all. Even in such difficult times you still manage to watch what you’re eating as well as find time to post on here. You’re an amazing woman!