ONE WEEK AT A TIME beginning June 18th 2019

We have not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you are have any health related symptoms or concerns, you should contact your doctor who will be able to give you advice specific to your situation.

  • posted by wendleg
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    That’s good sensible advice for you StrongCurves. You can be STRONGER than that little insiduous voice in your head doing its utmost to sabotage your efforts. Remember what you are doing this for. It’s tough early days resisting certain foods but remember they really are just foods , not endowed with magic powers. The magic comes when you can pass them by without a thought.That will happen. Choose foods that nourish you and think of the crappy carbs as monsters who are out to harm you !!!

  • posted by wendleg
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    Thank you for Bee Girl and caronl .Following your advice and that of the pharmacist ( who are like gods in France 😉 I am stocked up with Dulcosoft and arnica !

  • posted by sixturkeys
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    I typed a long message and then came up against “you are not connected etc..”. Very annoying! Wendleg, hope you can maybe sleep downstairs on the first night home. What did you think of fox earrings? I lived in France for many years when younger; suppositories and “ampoules” are really unknown in UK!

  • posted by Kafin13
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    Thanks, Sunderland and Merry – dinner was good. My favorite pureed cauli/broccoli with butter and garlic, chicken and zero noodles with one of my mini brie’s melted through to give them some flavor.xx

  • posted by JGwen
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    Hi Stongcurves, did you know that the bacteria in our guts can send signals to our brains to nudge us into eating. The “bad” gut bacteria which cause inflammation depend on you eating carbs for their survival. When you go low carb you are starving them and feeding the good bacteria. –
    Don’t worry as you keep carb levels down they will die off and with them that little voice will fade away.

  • posted by Kafin13
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    Side note: “Birdleg” is great, Wendy. It’s very possible I’ll devote the next few hours to making up potential combinations – seems like a good use of my time.
    Sincerely,
    Catfin (I’ve claimed you, Allie!)

  • posted by Elky
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    Good morning all, just checking in to say hello and catch up with everyone.

    StrongCurves, I feel your pain and frustration, I really do. I’m pretty new to this WOE too and I did exactly the same thing recently, only my stumble was with toast, and I agree with what everyone else has already said – when we stumble there’s nothing for it but to dust ourselves off and get back on the wagon. No stumbles have to be permanent 🙂 A really important thing for me is learning to stop myself saying “well I’ve already wrecked today so I may as well eat what I like until bedtime”. No -if lunch is high carb then I can still save dinner, it doesn’t have to be more tripping and stumbling. I am not always successful at that, but I’m trying 😉

    Kafin – hope you have a brighter day today <fingers crossed>

    In positive news, I got on the scales this morning and have finally dropped below where I was when I had my Weekend of Toast and undid lots of good work. So happy dance for me! 🙂 And for everyone else, this means I can finally stop whinging about my Weekend of Toast so that must lead to a collective sigh of relief from you all LOL

    That means I’ve discarded 13.5 kg (a shade under 30 pounds) since 1 May (I was doing this WOE for a few weeks before I actually spoke up on the forums). I know a fair chunk of that is water weight, but I’m still pretty pleased with it. I have *lots* of weight to discard so, you know, I’ll be here for a while yet LOL

    JGwen, do you know how quickly the carb-loving bacteria in our gut come back if we start eating carbs again after a relatively long period on this WOE? Does it take a while, or do they reappear pretty quickly?

    A question for the experts here:

    In terms of autophagy and not having sagging skin after big discards, can anyone on here speak from personal experience that autophagy is genuinely helpful? I know Jason Fung talks about how it does work, and I see how it theoretically should work, but I just wondered if anyone here has found that it actually does? Not that I’m worried or anything…. much!! LOL

    Anyway, hope everyone has a great day,
    Elky

  • posted by Kafin13
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    Thanks Elky and congrats! Although I’ve become fond of Weekend of Toast, reminds of Cheesecake for Dinner, back in April.

  • posted by arcticfox
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    StrongCurves – don’t worry too much about your slip. I was struggling back in April with binging and eating huge quantities of junky carbs and sweets. It does get better. My appetite for these things has significantly reduced now that I’m eating better, have got my iron and b12 levels up and am mostly sleeping better. I slipped myself a bit today because I was supposed to just be eating very low carb foods to monitor what happens to my blood glucose, and I was doing so well. I was maintaining a steady 4.5 all day with only a slight dawn effect in the morning and a bit of an uplift after my noon hour walk (usually it goes down and I have to be careful not to have a hypo after lunch, and have been having more success eating lunch after my walk than before, so very interesting that it goes in the opposite direction with very low carb foods). I had sauteed rapini with eggs for breakfast and chia pudding with coconut for lunch and I wasn’t feeling hungry at all, but for some reason a little voice started to bug me at 2pm. I think it is because I didn’t sleep quite so well last night and I was struggling to focus on my work and had a lot to get done that needed me to be mentally sharp. I always turn to chocolate in these circumstances it seems. Unfortunately I remembered that I had some dark chocolate with nuts in my bag from the other day and scoffed what was remaining. The good news is that it barely caused a blip in my blood glucose levels, so I guess my suspicion from last week that I don’t get a blood sugar spike from chocolate was correct (at least dark chocolate with nuts). Anyway, I’m just looking at it as a learning experience. Obviously chocolate is very high in calories so I can’t do this everyday in spite of the fact that it doesn’t spike blood sugar. Will try for a better night’s sleep tonight and hope for a better day tomorrow.
    Kafin – I have cheesecake for dinner occasionally – but it happens to be the savory cheesecake in the recipe section! I like to use different vegetable toppings on it each time. It is very good and is a nice decadent treat without the carbs. I’ve actually never liked sweet cheesecake for some reason, but I really like it salty and savoury.
    Elky – I think I’m going to try to use the cauliflower rice for dinner, so I’ll let you know what I do with it and how it goes.

  • posted by LouiseKangooroo
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    Hi all, quick check in for me as I’m on my phone! Can’t wait to find a good 20min to sit at the computer and do a proper reply.
    Hey Wendleng, do you live in France? I’m originally from Bretagne. How do you resist the baguettes? 😋
    AFM I bought some ketostix yesterday and they show 15mg (?) of Ketones which might be mild ketosis? I don’t feel that rush of energy though… 🧐
    I’ve lost 2.8kg since I started 5 days ago and I’m pumped. Some clothes already feel a lot less tight.
    I aim to stay with the fast 800 for an initial 8 weeks. Then I’ll be holidaying in Bali for a week so I’ll just do what I feel like when I’m there and pick up the new WOE once back home.
    Where are you all at in your weigh loss journey? Many of you in maintenance? I have 15kg to discard.

  • posted by Amz the Beautiful
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    Hi. I’m here, almost better. Faster today.
    Wendy, sorry to best about your health issues. How things go smoothly and you are in tip-top shape soon.
    StrongCurves – it is easy to get sidelined by a poor eating choice and then give it all up. Don’t do that! Too well only keep feeling worse and worse. Instead, let’s brainstorm ways to avoid a repeat : can you avoid the table? If not, how about bringing healthy snacks to munch on instead? Though it may be difficult, but it could inspire others to make better choices in their snack offerings down the road.

  • posted by arcticfox
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    I did as you suggested, Elky, with the cauliflower rice. With the addition of some olives and pine nuts it was delicious. I still have a packet of the cauliflower left so I think I may try a fried rice type of dish in the next day or two.
    Just checking out my glucose graph for the day and it is nearly a complete flat line! Tiny blip up 3 points in the afternoon due to the chocolate, but otherwise holding steady between 4.3 and 4.5 for the whole day. I call that a success! I don’t have a breathalyzer, but I was feeling on my drive home like I might be starting to go into ketosis. Just a similar taste in my mouth to when I have been fasting. Can’t believe how tasty the food I’ve eaten today has been and how full I’ve felt as well.

  • posted by Elky
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    Kafin, I wasn’t yet around the forums when you did your Cheesecake for Dinner moment, but it surely does sound memorable. Hoping I can put mine behind me as well as you did!

    LouiseK, I’m sure others will know better than me, but I think that clear headed, lots of energy feeling comes with deeper levels of ketosis. For me personally, I have to be in a long-ish fast before I get anything like that deep (like around 48 hours or more, which I haven’t yet managed very often) but YMMV. Provided you’re burning fat, that’s probably the key thing, unless you’re really aiming for that energy state for sporting performance or something.

    In term so my journey, I’m definitely still in the foothills at the base of the mountain range, a very long way from maintenance. I’ve only been doing this for a couple of months, but I’m pretty pleased with progress so far and am – mostly!!! – finding things that used to be huge temptations surprisingly easy to resist. So I’m pretty optimistic just now 😊

    Amz, glad to hear you’re having a better day!!!

    Arcticfox that’s brilliant news about the flat line graph – you must be so pleased. Definitely a win, especially when you enjoyed the food so much as well. And yep that weird taste is a ketosis sign for me too so I reckon you might be right.

    Cheers, Elky

  • posted by StrongCurves
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    That’s fascinating. And just goes to show why our gut is referred to as the “second brain”!

  • posted by StrongCurves
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    Good idea Amz. Would definitely need to be something tasty as they are very used to snacking on chocolate and sweets! Sometimes someone brings fruit in and this is always eaten much more slowly :/

  • posted by StrongCurves
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    ArcticFox, I think these little blips are probably inevitable – hard to maintain flawless eating habits 24/7! As you’ve suggested with the dark chocolate and nuts, there are always better choices to make if we really need something.
    I used to binge eat almost every day for two years as a response to stress in my very high pressure job. Work is a bit better now but of course there are still things in life that could improve. Food was my comfort but it never really made me feel better, more that I couldn’t stand myself mentally and physically.

    But now with my appetite reducing and slowly introducing healthier foods more regularly, the urge to binge is lessening. I know this probably won’t be the last time I slip up but if over 95% of the time I can eat well I’ll be happy. Might sound strange but can feel how happy my gut is when it gets plenty of veg and protein/good fat etc!
    Thanks for all the support on here everyone, it’s so helpful 🙂

  • posted by wendleg
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    Lots of lovely, supportive posts on the thread ! Thank you Elky , JGwen ( as always) and arcticfox !
    Arcticfox, I could never be as meticulous as you plotting blood glucose levels but it does sound fascinating. I had to google ‘rapini’ to discover it is broccoli rabe. Hubby grows kale for me but I can’t find the broccoli spears easily here.
    I don’t honestly believe binges need to be an inevitable part of life….my mind is set but please don’t get discouraged if they are still lurking ready to trip you up. Don’t fear them.They can be conquered, they really can. You are already seeing that StongCurves !
    Elky you are doing really well and I love your positive outlook.I know fasting interests you so feel free to join Birdleg on another extended fast if you want to . It will probably be a monthly occurrence.
    Hi LouiseKoo..yes I have lived in France since 1990 and I call myself Frenglish/Franglaise 😉 Are you a Bretonne ??
    Baguettes have absolutely no appeal for me. The pure white ones taste like cotton wool and I favoured more rustic wholemeal or ‘ pain au levain’. I haven’t eaten bread since September and do not miss it one bit.O/H still buys a cereal bread from LIDL which he likes but he has to freeze it as he is the only one who eats it. I just love all the local veg I can get here on the markets and from the bio farm up the road. They presented us with 6 mini cucumbers the other day as they said there is no market for them ( what ??!!) I would buy them !
    I am in no way trying to present myself as some virtuous superior being 😉 …but my experience is that giving up all refined carbs has been key for me in beating the cravings. This is exactly what JGwen was saying.
    LouiseKoo you have made a great start and a 15kg discard will happen. I am 25 kg down since September and am in no way unusual. There are some spectacular successes on here .Stay ‘pumped’ and keep checking in with us so you can feel fab for your Bali holiday ! I think after the initial 8 weeks you won’t really find the carbs so appealing so you can avoid straying too far off plan.
    6T I wanted to reply about the fox earrings which are FAB !! I just need a matching outfit !! ( Remember my squirrel dress and acorn earrings 😉 I thought of you yesterday.I had a few hours to spare so went shopping for lightweight summer trousers. No way could I squash my jelly belly into anything smaller than a size 16…and I was thinking of your size 12 jeans . !! Well done you !! I even tried a few pairs of jeans on( with great apprehension) and was amazed when the lovely sales lady kept saying I needed a smaller size. I really find it hard to recognise that I don’t need the baggy stuff anymore. I ended up with a pair of lightweight chinos and a Tshirt with the inscription ‘ Take me to Melbourne ‘ !!! I need another one for Cairns !! For those who don’t know me…my two boys are presently in Australia. 😉
    About my boys 6T …I regularly used suppositories when my babies had a high temperature ….ampoules were always a health hazard, snapping off that glass tip … !! I have all my meds ready for Tuesday …Betadine shower scrub, anti inflammatories and stomach protector meds and vey light pain relief ( like effervescent paracetemol). I got off lightly ….after my hip op I had pain relief which could have been career changing for me  Needless to say I didn’t use if for more than a day !! I am hoping this hernia op will be as manageable.I won’t have to gaze in dismay at hospital food and can escape in the evening.
    Amz, I am glad you are feeling better and you sound very positive. Keep going beautiful Amz.
    I had better sign off now or you will be getting bored !! Have a good day everyone !!

  • posted by sixturkeys
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    I love that you found a “Take me to Melbourne” Tshirt in Southern France! Lightweight chinos sound lovely and what a perceptive sales lady to point out you needed smaller sizes! For all my (pre-menopause/pre-slippery slope) adult life I was a size 10 (went down to a 6 during very stressful divorce..) and am small frame, so a size 12 is getting back to what I was rather than completely new me (if that makes sense…). Sun is out here, summer solstice! It was great to see post from Duckie on another thread, and also that people are just moving on from blips (it’s the only way, and I should know…). Have a lovely day all. Hearing from Esnecca would be the icing on the (virtual) cake!

  • posted by MerryMelba
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    Hi all!
    Wave to Wendleg – let me know when that T-shirt gets you to Melbourne and we’ll try for a meetup ☕️😀 Your local vegetable buying sounds wonderful, lovely and fresh. There is an organic farmers market near me every Sunday and I *must* make more of an effort to go there. So much better and seasonal than the supermarket.
    Hello to foxes, turkeys, ducks, birds, elks, kangaroos and other Amz(ing), sunny, Ka(t)fin 🐱, and curvy people. Quite a menagerie. 🦌🦆🦃🌞

  • posted by wendleg
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    Hi Merry from Melbourne !
    We won’t get to Melbourne until I retire ( from next September!) but I will hold you to that ! My son absolutely loves the city and tells me I will love it too ! We went to Tasmania and Cairns in February 2018 when both of my boys were in Queensland .
    Have a great day everyone !

  • posted by Amz the Beautiful
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    Woke up this morning sick again; my little lady is sick as well. I hereby call a rest day.
    Been fasting in a very loose sense of the word; had some coconut water yesterday since I was extremely dehydrated and a cup of green tea with a tablespoon of honey for my sore throat today.
    I’m envious of you globe trotters as I’ve never let the states except for a short stop in Belize during a cruise when I was younger. When my daughter is a little older, I’m planning to take her out to see the world.
    Still haven’t worked out, but abstaining from food the past day reminded me that there was a time when I had my cravings in check and felt no desire to binge. I want to get back to that determination so I’ll work towards that goal without fail.
    I hope everyone has a lovely day.

  • posted by wendleg
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    Hi Amz
    Sorry to hear you and your daughter are both unwell. Nourish yourselves with good foods and yes make sure you are well hydrated.
    You will get to that place where the cravings are no longer Amz and trying to stay consistently low carb will help you achieve that. Once you are in that mindset it will be much easier for you. It’s a delicate balance when circumstances and feeling unwell can trip you up but I am so glad to hear your determination, Amz.
    Hope you feel better soon xxx

  • posted by Birdy76
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    Afternoon everyone sorry to hear that both you and your daughter are both ill Amz I am sending you both big hugs 🤗

    I have made pancakes today from Dr Fungs fasting book and they are lovely but I could only manage one as they are heavy to me! I suppose it is because I haven’t eaten anything like it since I started this woe😂. They are made with coconut flour and heavy cream and eggs, with real vanilla extract and a small amount of organic honey. Low carb but still too bread like for me😂. My son loves them though so I will make them again. They feel like real good food, if you get what I mean? Almost pure! I think it is the natural organic coconut flour😉.

    So the ball is tomorrow and I am looking forward to it. I am going to have a practice run of putting my make up on as I haven’t really worn it in a while and I don’t want to look like mutton dresses as lamb😬.

    I am glad you are all finding your way and I am also glad that you are taking on board that you don’t have to beat yourselves up when you fall off of the wagon. The point is that you got back on and realised where you had gone wrong and that is the way we work and the woe works. It is forgiving ❤️❤️. I hope you all have a fab weekend. Happy Friday everyone. 💞🦜

  • posted by arcticfox
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    Wendleg – I had a laugh at you describing me as meticulous! I really am anything but. The nice thing about the CGM is that it records everything for me and produces a nice little graph all on its own. I just have to sit down at the end of the day and look through the logbook of data points.
    The rapini or broccoli rabe was really nice sauteed in oil with a bit of garlic a la Esnecca. It is difficult to find here too, but every once in a while it appears in the supermarket (same with gorgonzola cheese too which is my favourite blue cheese – finally had it available consistently for about 6 months and now it has disappeared again! I used to get some lovely tinned baba ganoush which disappeared at the same time and has never returned. I live in such a weird place food-wise!). It was the first time I’ve been brave enough to try it as I’ve heard it described as bitter. However, I grew up eating a variety of tops of cruciferous veggies straight out of the garden, and it was really no different than any of those. I should have had more confidence in my taste buds! I actually have some seeds for it, but didn’t plant any this year as I was hoping my place would have sold by now and it would have been a pain to move too many plants. Oh well, maybe next year I will have my own proper veggie garden instead of just having to put things in pots on my balcony.
    Hope your operation goes well, Wendleg. Wishing you the best.
    Birdy – hope you have a fab time at the ball. I have coconut flour in so may try some pancakes at the weekend.

    I’m doing quite well still I think. I still feel by the taste in my mouth that I’m in ketosis. My blood sugar stayed stable overnight – not even a mild hypo at 3 or 5 am as has been happening fairly frequently over the last 2 weeks. Still hovering around 4.5. Interestingly enough, my mood feels more stable too. I guess that makes sense that I’m not swinging from highs to lows throughout the day in mood or energy level like I was when eating higher carb.

  • posted by alliecat
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    Articfox, you sound like you are in an excellent place right now! I’m happy for you. You have had a rough road to travel, and
    it was so good to hear that you are able to sit on your horse again! Head injuries can be a long time resolving, so we are
    all hopeful for you. Mood swings and chronic fatigue are terrible, and never wanting to return there is just one of the reasons
    why I don’t find it difficult to forfeit the carbs and stay in ketosis.

    You will be the belle of the ball tomorrow night, Birdy. I’ve seen your lovely dress, and you look fantastic in it 🙂

    Our hearts will be with you on tuesday, Wendy. May this procedure be the last for a very long time! I know that you have
    a first class nurse/attendant, and he will take very good care of you 🙂 🙂 🙂

    Hope you feel better soon, Amz the beautiful! It’s very good to have you back with us, too. I don’t get to travel much
    these days either….but I manage to live vicariously through all my BSD friends! Some are even trained to send me
    photos of their holidays, which I dearly love.

    Wishing each and all a happy weekend full of sunshine and your stunning English roses!

  • posted by Elky
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    Wendleg, I might indeed join your next Birdleg extended fast, please let me know when you’re kicking it off – when you know of course – I know you just finished one do you’ll need a break. Fingers crossed for your op.

    Merry, I laughed at your description of our menagerie, I didn’t even think of that with my name, it’s just a very old nickname that’s kind of based on my initials. I should have picked a more glamorous animal lol

    Amz, sorry to hear you and your daughter are unwell, hope you both feel better soon.

    Birdy, hope the ball is wonderful, I wish you could post photos but I’m sure you will be lovely! And I might try those pancakes too – I’ve had no luck cooking with coconut flour but it sounds like that recipe might be a good one.

    Arcticfox, where do you live? It sounds somewhere quite exotic.

    I’m like you, Allie, it’s a good while since I did much travel either but other people’s stories are fun 🙂 I’m old school enough to enjoy postcards- remember postcards? lol

    It’s cold and windy here today but at least the sun is shining so I’m going out for a bit to make the most of it.

    Have a grand weekend everyone,
    Elky

  • posted by BeeGirl
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    Afternoon folks!
    Birdy – hope you have a fab time at the ball tonight.
    Amz – hope you’re feeling better today.

    Random story you probably don’t need to hear, but anyway…! Further proof that scales are only ever a guide; after weeding at the allotment on Thursday I was really feeling quite achy yesterday, with especially sore hamstrings (poor weeding technique of bending over rather than squatting down!). By the evening I felt like I was really retaining some fluid due to this so stepped on the scales out of interest. Sure enough, 6lb up on Tuesday’s morning WI (normally I only vary 2 or 3 pounds morning to night). Not surprising or particularly concerning given how I felt. TMI but I was up several times in the night for a pee, which is most unusual, so thought I’d weigh myself again this morning; 8lb down on last night! Just goes to show the impact a few sore muscles and associated fluid retention can make and why the scales aren’t the best way to measure fat loss!

    Husband’s away today for his hobby so I’m treating myself to a small bottle of prosecco tonight; quite looking forward to it as I drink so rarely now. Probably with a nice cheese and ham omelette. I love cheese. I love that I can eat it on this diet. I also confess that I persuaded my husband that we should join the Cheese Society and the first delivery arrived yesterday. I’m unduly excited about this 😂

  • posted by arcticfox
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    BeeGirl – that is very interesting with regard to muscle soreness. I also have a story about not relying on the scales. I’ve had quite a good week with regard to diet, and especially the last few days. Stepped on the scales today and I am up 1.6kg! So much for losing fluid when you drop the carbs down low. But I am at the time of the month where I retain a lot of fluid, so I am hoping that is what is up. Using a measuring tape at this time is also useless as I can tell my clothes are fitting tighter and I usually go up at least a whole size at this time of month. It is quite frustrating not to see any improvement in any way after feeling like I’ve done so well, but hopefully I will start to lose the fluid over the next week or so. I once put on weight during a 40 hour fast, so unfortunately this is not really unusual for me.
    Elky – it is nice that where I live seems exotic. I can assure you that it is not though. I live in a farming service centre/suburb that for the most part seems stuck in another era, and not in a good way. Think poor planning, sprawl and car-oriented development, decimating the downtown through allowing big box retail development on the edge of town, paving over farmland for big industrial parks, lots of homeless people and drug use, and you’ll start to get the picture. The nearest major centre is 2 hours away and it has a fair amount of ethnic diversity and more of a ‘foody’ culture, but it might as well be on the moon given that not much of that seems to trickle out this way. We do have a large proportion of south asians in the farming community though, so that does mean that the Indian food here is very good. We used to have 3 supermarkets, but the one that was within walking distance for me just closed a few weeks ago and the other one that I shop at regularly has just ‘streamlined’ its product line and there is now much less available in the way of ethnic products. I think it is entirely possible that I was the only one buying the gorgonzola and baba ganoush! When I look at what other people at the supermarket are buying, it is mostly just trolleys full of junky, processed food. You can tell the people who think they are buying healthy but they have things like breakfast cereal, bagged salads (most have a dressing that comes with them that is packed with sugar), low-fat, artificially sweetened yogurts, and chicken breasts pre-marinated in sugary sauces. I came here from our capital city which is also a national training centre for many Olympic teams and sports. People were so healthy there, even the OAPs. I used to walk and ride my bike everywhere. I was shocked when I came here at how unhealthy and overweight people were. Unfortunately I have put on all of my extra 20kg just since I moved here 6 years ago. Environment does make a difference to your health!

  • posted by Amz the Beautiful
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    174.8
    Feeling better, still coughing some. Little daughter is doing well too. So resting but I plan to start working out tomorrow. I wish you all a happy day.

  • posted by Kafin13
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    Great discard, Amz – glad you’re both feeling better x

  • posted by LouiseKangooroo
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    Hi all,
    Today marks the completion of my first week on the fast 800. I thought I’d take some time to reflect while I hear my kids running havoc downstairs and my husband slowly going crazy. I will try and keep my reflection shorts to that I can go and co parent 😉
    I believe I am finally in ketosis. The headaches are gone, the hunger is gone and I have tons of energy. I find “resisting” carbs really easy, I don’t crave them at all. Yesterday I spent the whole day baking crepes and waffle and I wasn’t even salivating. That is a HUGE surprise.
    TRE is so achievable too. My last meal was at 1pm yesterday and it’s now 8am the next day and still no hunger… Must be down to all the fat in storage hehe.
    As for scales results, I have discarded a massive 3.8kg in my first week. That’s close to a 3rd of the total weight I need to discard. My fitted dresses already feel better to wear. Even my wedding rings fit better. I can take them off without feeling the need to cut a finger off he. So overall, Im very pleased and on a big high.

    Elky, thanks for your advice. You are right I really only want to burn fat – but I wasn’t happy with the headaches that I thought would have gone once in true ketosis.

    Wendleg, yes I’m a bretonne, hence me “turning” crepes all day yesterday at the school fete. I agree with you white baguette isn’t great. But they always have a baguette du boulanger, and once you find the right bakery, it was a baguette hard not to eat in one sitting. Anyway those days are gone now haha The vegetables and fruits in France…….. I miss them dearly. I found that what we get here in OZ just doesn’t taste half as good. It’s a lot harder to find the right producers. I think you might be right and I won’t feel the need to have carbs in Bali. However tropical fruits there would be hard to resist. As an aside, my mum also had two of her children in australia for over 5 years, it must not be easy to have them so far from you. I hope they are good with phone calls or facetime! (I have a phone subscription that is really cheap and let me give unlimited calls to France on mobile and fixe. called Aldi mobile)

    MerryMelba, where’s your organic farmers market? I’d love to visit such a place if not too far from me… Im inner north.

    Amz, hope you and your daughter is getting better. Good luck finding back the place where carbs craving are gone. It’s not far away!

    Birdy, those pancakes sound interesting. Low carbs? Need to source that coconut flour!

    Articfox, are you a horse rider? I use to have a horse (5 years ago – pre kids) and would do competition all over Melbourne. It was so good to start the day with a ride watching the sun rise and seeing kangaroos jumping all over. I plan to go for leisury rides now and then once I’m closer to goal weight.

    BeeGirl, how was the prosecco and cheese night? I would love to join a cheese society too. As a frenchie I can never have enough cheese!

  • posted by MerryMelba
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    Well done on completing your first week. Glad to hear you have got past the headaches – all systems go from here. I loved that real change in energy levels I felt from the first week on – it gave me the good push to keep at this WOE. You can do this!!
    The market is in Flemington at Mt Alexander College – on every Sunday and has been going for years so has a dedicated following. This morning I bought multi-coloured silverbeet, lovely fresh fennel and a celeriac, as well as eggs and some organic almond nut spread. Lots of food stalls as well selling lovely goodies – I steered clear of those 🙂 And also organic grass fed meat sellers.
    Both the major supermarket chains (C and W) have their own ranges now of all the specialty products – coconut flour, almond flour, psyllium, yeast flakes, chia, etc etc. There is a new Woolies in North Melbourne Arden St – huge place with good range of whole food products.
    Sun is coming out now – perhaps the chill has come off so we can have a dog walk.

  • posted by LouiseKangooroo
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    Thanks for the tips Merry! It’s actually not too far from me and probably an activity I can do with the kids too 🙂
    Enjoy your wkd!

  • posted by arcticfox
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    LouiseKangooroo, yes I ride horses although I’m only just starting back after an accident last year, and my horse is recovering from a lameness as well. Before the accident I was also in training to become an equine behaviourist. Five years ago I was in your neck of the woods doing a stint at the Australian Equine Behaviour Centre in the Clonbinane/Broadford area.

    I had a nice evening with my sister, whom I don’t see very often. We went to the beach, and then afterwards went for a drive through the neighbourhood where we grew up and looked at our old house. Not as good on the food front as the previous two days, but not terrible either. I still managed to avoid any major blood sugar highs and lows though so that’s ok.

  • posted by wendleg
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    Oooh this silly old clucking hen loves the idea of some many lovely ladies living close to my boy in Melbourne ! He’s only 26 ;-);-) 😉 !!!!
    He lives in the Armadale area of Melbourne . I have just had a lovely Whatsapp chat with him…I could see him so clearly.Thank goodness for the technology !!
    Everyone is sounding really upbeat which is wonderful.
    Elky ..of course we will let you know about the next extended fast and anyone else who wants to join us.Caronl bumped up the Fasting thread on the forum so we can all meet up on there.
    Interesting story about your fluid retention Bee Girl ! Better not mention cheese when Allie is around 😉 So many to choose from in France and O/H partakes regularly….often of the very smelly varieties ! I have to be more careful. I recenty found Halloumi which although not exactly French is very nice grilled with a salad.I like being able to find sheep’s/ewe’s milk products too. I would be hopeless with the Prosecco though, Bee Girl. Fizzy alcohol just does not agree with me .
    Articfox you have a great attitude and I am glad that you had a lovely time with your sister. All the best for the coming week.
    Wow LouiseKoo that is a fantastic achievement and tremendous motivation ! Keep going ! To be able to resist the crèpes and waffles so early on is amazing ! Have a wonderful time in Bali. Yes..the tropical fruit will be a challenge to resist ! As I mentioned I communicate with my boys mostly via Whatsapp messgae and video and I have a World Clock app on my phone so I can check times in Cairns and Melbourne before I ring ! I also have clocks for Connecticut (Allie) and Los Angeles( Kafin) I can work out Uk time 😉
    Amz ..glad you are feeling better. Don’t put yourself under too much pressure…start working out again when you feel 100% and remember what we said about not caring too much about the numbers.We want you to feel good about yourself and that is not just what the scales say Beautiful Amz.
    Looking forward to hearing from Birdy . I am sure she looked FA BU LOUS at the ball !!! Kirsten you will rock your outfit next week too !
    It’s going to get very hot here next week and we are into heatwave temperatures.Fortunately I will be convalescing so I can keep cool !
    Some of our regulars are quiet ? Maybe away at the mo ?
    Have a great day everyone xx

  • posted by alliecat
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    Yes, cheese is like a dog whistle or a siren’ call for me! I haven’t had any in 3 years, but can’ risk bringing into the house,
    either. It would be speaking to me from the refrig! The concept of everything in moderation eludes me, so I guess
    cheese could be called a “trigger” food.

  • posted by arcticfox
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    Scales are up another 0.9kg this morning, so nearly a 2.5kg gain over the last few days. I ate a lot yesterday, but I know I didn’t eat an extra 7000 calories, so I know it has to be water weight. It could also be a bit of ‘fibre’ weight as I was eating a lot of fibrous vegetables when I was eating very low carb for those few days. I was feeling very full and not hungry at all and I think that was down to the fibre. I really hope I have a big whoosh later this week and all this fluid comes out.

    I tried making coconut flour pancakes yesterday and it was not very successful. I think I used too much coconut flour and not enough eggs. It still tasted good, but the pancakes didn’t hold together so were more of a coconut scramble! Very filling as well. I would normally eat too many regular pancakes, but these were so filling that I didn’t want very much at all.

  • posted by Birdy76
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    Good evening everyone sorry I have not read posts today as I have been a busy little bee today in our front garden! We are having our driveway done and made bigger so I had to start the task of clearing all the foliage out! It was very hard going but I think I managed to burn a few calories from last night😂💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻 The ball was fantastic and I had some great compliments. My dress that I wore is now a little big on me😱😉. But it is all good. My starter was mozzarella with all different coloured tomatoes and they tasted fab! It also had pesto. Main was a lovely breast of chicken wrapped in bacon with crushed new potatoes, green beans and carrots. I didn’t touch the potatoes😇😇. Dessert was dark chocolate torte and I only ate the chocolate and cream! I also had a cheese board but I didn’t eat the crackers. I did however have a drink! 5 small glasses of fizz, half a glass of red wine and a couple of shots of toffee vodka😈😈😈. Lots of dancing and loads of laughs with the other rugby mums ❤️❤️. I was going to fast today and tomorrow but I needed to eat. I hope you have all had a great weekend?? I am now going to read all your posts and see what you have been up to. You are all awesome Birdy💞🦜

  • posted by StrongCurves
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    Good evening everyone! Hope you’re all having a lovely weekend. Just ordered a ketone breathalyser which will arrive tomorrow, so looking forward to that 🙂 Also lost just under 5lb during this week, hoping it’ll continue into the next one!

  • posted by sixturkeys
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    That sounds great fun Birdy! I also remember the great fun dancing with other mums at end of term etc events. Not sure what is played now to get people up and dancing! As part of my “momentous” weekend, I dropped into TKMaxx, which I make a point of now when I wander down to Balham from where I am…. Bought nice colourful linen top; a skirt (Batik type print) and silky knickers. I also found Tempeh in Sainsburys; never eaten before. I had some (pre) curried bits for lunch, with some sliced cucumber/yog/mustard/olive oil. Very nice.

  • posted by BeeGirl
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    Evening all!
    LouiseKangooroo – prosecco and cheese was very pleasant thanks! I had a cheese called ‘Alpine’ with ham in an omelette, which was lovely. It’s a bit like emmental and worked well with the butter, eggs and ham. I did have a shocking headache after the prosecco though – good job it’s only an occasional treat these days!
    Wendleg – we often use Tesco Halloumi with chilli to make the Halloumi Caponata from the recipe section; it’s lovely and especially good with a bit of tuna on the side (although we leave out the olives and capers!).
    Allie – cheese is definitely something I need to be careful with; I’d live on it if I could so I’m living dangerously having so much in the house. Will cut it out if I have to, but I’m hoping I can indulge for a wee while.

    All the earlier talk of fasting has reminded me of when I used to do the original 5:2 and fast for two consecutive days (probably around 60 hours or so) and I would like eventually to transition to alternate day fasting or similar, in line with some of Jason Fung’s work. So, to get back into the way of things I’m going to fast from dinner today until lunch on Tuesday. I’m just finding I’m not really hungry these days so feel I’m eating for the sake of it, even when I do one meal like today, so thought this would give me a break and mix it up a bit. Will make my weekly weigh in on Tuesday morning a little ‘off’ and artificially low, but will be interesting to see what happens – will let you know!

  • posted by Elky
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    Hello all, really just dropping by to see what everyone else is up to.

    Arcticfox I did laugh at myself when I read your description of where you live. Based on your name, and your description of how hard it is to find some ingredients near you, I had colourfully imagined you living somewhere terribly exotic like Alaska and waiting for the plane to fly in weekly with fresh ingredients. Ah yeah, I may have an overly vivid imagination lol

    And I agree that you *could not* have put on 2.5kg of “real weight” over just a couple of days, it’s got to be water or fibre as you say. I guess this reinforces JGwen’s point about not focussing so much on the scales but I can’t break myself of the habit. It’s so nice when the whoosh happens and they go down! 😊

    LouiseK and StrongCurves, well done on those discards!!

    Birdy I’m so pleased the ball was so good! And that your dress was actually a bit loose, that’s a triumph!!

    Allie and BeeGirl, I think I’m a bit in your camp, moderation with cheese is not something I can manage very well. But I enjoy it so much that for the moment I eat it, will see what happens longer term. Really hoping I can keep it, as I do like it such a lot.

    Have a good day everyone,
    Elky

  • posted by MerryMelba
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    Good morning everyone. Lots of good information here as usual – and some happy discards!
    I’m so happy for you Birdy76 that the dress was a hit and it sounds like a very fun night. Wish we had a photo 💃💃💃 And well done on all your food choices on the night – I bet it was lovely getting all the compliments – so well deserved.
    Ahh – cheese. I do love it also, and I have some each day. But I have to keep the fridge clear of the really delicious ones like Allie, or they will be calling to me too! I love halloumi BeeGirl – and will have it as part of my lunch some days (first meal of the day) lightly heated in the pan, with perhaps an egg and some mushrooms. And I take a mini Babybel to work with me if I need an afternoon pickup. And a small slice at cheddar after my main meal.
    Elky I bet your whoosh moment will come soon! But I have had a slow morning due to it being soooo cold! I do hope to get myself moving and go to the gym soon. That’ll warm me up.
    Birdy76 – on the Dietdoctor website there is a recipe for pancakes made with cottage cheese – they sound quite light. Have you – or anyone? – tried these?
    Have a great start to the week!

  • posted by Amz the Beautiful
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    178.
    Today I finally stuck to 800 calories/20 carbs. I also did a 30 minute low impact workout video on fitness blender. Whew! It kicked my butt; I could really feel the difference in my fitness level compared to six months ago.

  • posted by Kafin13
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    Fair warning, this is a frustrated post so read at your own risk! I’m really hoping there is someone else out there that has the same feelings as me – despite being constantly in Ketosis (according to my breathalyzer) for the last three weeks and never dipping under 0.4, I have never felt this energy rush that others talk about, nor am I losing fat. I know part of the lack of energy is my meds but I’m annoyed all the same. My measurements haven’t changed and my clothes feel exactly the same. I religiously drink 3L of water a day, stick to 800 cals, carbs are always well under 20g, I keep my protein at 50g and eat in an 8 hour window. I haven’t binged in the three weeks but I’m only staying on track due to sheer willpower – unlike many on here, I have not even come close to losing my taste for bad carbs or sweets or not feeling hungry. I’m at my lowest weight on this WOE and I can’t ever seem to push past it. The first time I tried, I sat at this weight for six weeks before giving up and I need some more consistent losses even if small, to keep me going. Ok, rant done. I hope everyone had a good weekend xx

  • posted by MerryMelba
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    Hugs to you Kafin! I can really feel your understandable frustration. Please don’t give up.
    I don’t have any answers for you, but hopefully others with more experience will be able to offer some advice.
    You have great willpower and you can stay on track. 🌺🌼

  • posted by Kafin13
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    Thanks, Merry x

  • posted by Elky
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    Oh Kafin, I’m so sorry to hear you’re “stalled”, that’s incredibly frustrating. I know it’s really hard to stay motivated when you don’t see results, I’ve been there.

    I don’t know that I have much to suggest, as you know I’m pretty new to all this. From my (admittedly limited) personal experience, I don’t get that energy rush that people talk about unless I’m really deep in ketosis, which for me takes a pretty long fast (like a couple of days). I seem to really need that spike in hormones from longer fasting to get there (adrenaline I think?). I’ll be really interested in what other people say, but I suspect that the energy rush is actually a bit overstated. That is, I suspect lots of us don’t get it very often. I actually wonder if some of the reason some of us think we have more energy is just because we’ve lost a fairly significant amount of weight quite quickly when we start – even if lots of it is water – so our bodies are just dragging less dead weight around. That makes us feel more energetic. As in, even just walking up a flight of stairs is easier because we’re lighter, so we feel more energetic. But it’s not really the ketones doing it. But I could be wrong – like I say, I’m new to this.

    In terms of no losses- scales or tape measure – I don’t know if it’s possible for you (e.g. your meds may not allow it), but would extending the period that you’re not eating be a possibility? That is, could you move to OMAD for a bit and see what happens? Even maybe just a day or so a week? I only suggest that because Jason Fung seems to be a big fan of mixing it up if your body is stuck at a certain point (OK, he says it a bit more elegantly than that). So he says if you haven’t been fasting, try it; if you have been fasting, change the length of the fast. The theory seems to be that our bodies get habituated to almost anything, so we have to change things to stop that happening. Maybe your body has just got used to what you’re doing? Could you go for a slightly longer period without eating? Or at least without eating much – so maybe you could have coffee with cream or coconut oil a couple of times during the day, just to keep you going, and then have a single “proper meal” to get to OMAD?

    Please do accept my apologies if your circumstances don’t allow that, I don’t mean to make you feel worse!

    Hugs, Elky

  • posted by Elky
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    Merry – hope you’re managing to stay warm – I heard yesterday was the coldest June day in Melbourne since 1983!

    Amz, good to hear you’re having a better time 🙂

  • posted by Kafin13
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    No apology necessary, Elky, I appreciate your thoughtful post. I know I’m not in a position to fast at the moment, meds cause me dizziness as well so I’m a little afraid to do something which might make it worse. Having fasted in the post, I know I get dizzy. Mentally, I don’t think I can cope with a fast since I don’t have enough to distract me right now and keeping busy has been the only way to get me through in the past. But, I will try your suggestion about maybe doing one meal a day or waiting a little longer to eat. I usually have my “breakfast” at 1:30ish and then dinner around 8pm – a later dinner keeps me from wanting to binge in the evening since I’m never able to fall asleep until around 2am.
    Do you know what “deep ketosis” equates to on a breathalyzer? Every day, I hit 0.6 but haven’t got over that but I’m guessing it can go higher?? Thank you x

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