ONE WEEK AT A TIME beginning June 30th 2020

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 2eviltwins
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    Seems about right since I keeps trying different combinations in MyFitnessPal and can’t find anything to eat to equal less than 20g of carbs 😢. It is lunch time now and I still haven’t eaten yet. Thanks for the help.

  • posted by DoubleDutch
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    My ‘standard’ lunch is either eggs (scrambled, boiled, fried, omelet, whatever) with cheese or cold cuts or a huge salad with well, cheese or cold cuts. Or salmon, goes great with scrambled eggs, too. By using diverse types of cheeses, im still not bored. I’ll put in some cucumber, cherry tomatos, some seeds. Dressed with a good quality oil. Or I can have a crust less quiche, or egg wrap. I have done cracker options for special occasions. I can have a great green soup, 50 cals and around 3 grams of carbs. With spinach, zucchini and broccoli. When you Google low carb recipes, you’ll find loads, also on this site. Or try your normal fare, but tweak it to make it low carb. I usually started by adding my dinner in the app and checked how many cals and carbs I had left for lunch. So I knew if I could take 30 or 25 grams of cheese 🙂 you’ll get really good at this, at one point I ate around 6-8 grams a day, wondering how I could find more carbs while staying under 800. The answer came in the form of green peas!

  • posted by SunnyB
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    2eviltwins, welcome! Sounds to me like you might be putting a bit too much pressure on yourself. Initially, why not aim to get your carbs around 50g per day and see how you go. You might find this more manageable and that you lose well at that level. If not, you can always adjust down later, if need be. Keep things simple, use your preferred protein and above ground veggies / salad.

    Rosy, well done on your latest result! Sorry you had to deal with that unwanted letter and sincerely hope you have been able to find a little calm and peace in your day, to help bring you back into balance. Keep your eye on all you have achieved and that you are so close to that 2st milestone. We’re all hoping to be celebrating your getting there very soon.

  • posted by 2eviltwins
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    So true, I did not realize that even veggies have carbs and they seem to add up. I just did a smoothie with veggies/berries for lunch and will do fish with veggies for dinner. It added up to 21g and I will have a small snack – any suggestions for low carb snacks since I do have a sweet tooth? Everyone has been so helpful and amazing 😉. I think it will get easier. 🦄💗

  • posted by Jeremy Fisher
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    Skyr is good. Very low fat, quite low carb, like thick and creamy yogurt, but nicer (in my view). Greek yogurt is another alternative but I prefer skyr.

  • posted by Kevlondon
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    2eviltwins lentils and beans are not friends of a low carb diet; basically go very easy on the grains, pulses and legumes, along with starchy veg like peas and sweetcorn. If it’s leafy or crispy, like peppers, cabbage, cauliflower and spring onions, fill your boots. Most fruit is packed with sugar and therefore carbs – berries are the best of the bunch, but don’t have too many. Tropical fruits, grapes and bananas are the worst offenders.

  • posted by 2eviltwins
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    Sounds delicious – I will pick some up when I shop this week.

  • posted by Dreamscometrue
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    @wendleg, sending you every good wish for your last day at school. I hope everything goes well and that you have a lovely day filled with happy memories. This is not the end but the beginning of a whole new life for you. Enjoy every minute X

  • posted by Bryla
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    Hello friends old and new! Thank you for the nudge via the old thread, Wendy. Much appreciated. I am okay, but I have had a strange few weeks of highs and lows that knocked me out of my lockdown routines, which included being part of this thread. You have all been in my thoughts, however, and I’m trying to catch up with everyone’s news now.

    The thing that has stayed constant is my way of eating and I am a little surprised but very grateful that’s the case! My first day was 8th Jan, so just about to hit 6 months. To anyone who is just starting out, or battling with temptations I can say that making the changes is possible and does start to feel normal and natural eventually. If I can do it, I know that anyone can! But I don’t think I would have done it without Wendy and Sunny and everyone else here. Thank you!

    I’ll drop in again as soon as I’m up to speed with all the goings on. Sending lots of love and encouragement to everyone …

  • posted by WindyJulz
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    Oh good luck today Wendleg!!

    Rosyapple – hope you are feleing ok?

    Olive – done some good fasting this week, quite enjoyed it. Accidentally did 1 meal yesterday just the way it worked out so I’m already 16hours into todays long fast. Trouble is I’ve been invited to a BBQ this evening, I have good food planned so not too worried about that aspect but tomorrow is weigh in day and I had kinda planned to have one meal as a late lunch today. So now i either have lunch to break fast then BBQ later, just being modest, or i try adn fast through to 7pm which would be 27hr fast….. but either way, eating after 6pm is alien to me at the moment so I’m all kinds of anxious as i dont want to undo the weeks work – or at least stop me seeing results on the scales….. but there is more to life than eating and actually maybe the social would be good for me……?! Maybes I ahve lunch and just take salad to the BBQ?! And a bit of chicken?! And coffee?! hahaha

    Hope you’ve all had a good week and are looking forward to the weekend!

  • posted by Rosyapple
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    Hello,
    quite a wobbly day yesterday, angry and sad but I didn’t eat on those feelings. In fact my appetite was lower than usual and i I just kind of plodded through my meals.
    My calories and portion sizes are creeping up a little and consequently my carbs, the one thing that is consistent is the content of my meals. Also keeping up with the walking and really enjoying it. I’m lucky to live in such a beautiful place. While out and about i try to focus on the possibility of actually having a slim, fit and healthy body. Trying to believe it’s possible. I have always been on the larger side so have no point to refer back to so I’m visualising!
    This week I have been in to town wearing some more figure hugging dresses and on account of the cooler weather I’ve been able to cover the bumpy bits with a little jacket. Not ready to bare all just yet but it feels good all the same! NSV’s, I’m appreciating them A LOT!! I’m also seeing my contours smoothing out little by little, very satisfying.
    A pretty happy customer 😊
    Have a great day everyone 🧡🌹🍏

  • posted by Rosyapple
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    WindyJulz, thanks for asking after me, appreciated! We must have been typing away at the same time
    🧡🌹🍏…. Enjoy the BBQ whatever your decisions around meals, human contact is so important.

  • posted by SunnyB
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    Rosy,so pleased you were able to ride out the upsets yesterday, without ‘eating’ your emotions …. you should be very proud! It’s a huge step forward and even if portion size has crept up a little, you are still losing. I know you will take back control, because you are so appreciating where you are right now and are holding on to a vision of where you want to be. And you are so close to your 2st marker too!

    The description of you wearing fitted dresses and feeling good about how you look is wonderful. Have no doubt you are indeed a PRETTY 😁 happy customer. Hope your day today, is calmer and happier than yesterday …. relax and enjoy your achievements.

    Bryant, good to see you posting again. Sorry you have had a bumpy time recently, but it sounds like you are still in control and on the BSD track. Hope you will soon be feeling more settled and posting with us again. Take care ….

    Julz, it sounds like you have a solid plan for dealing with your social event this evening. Most important thing is to enjoy it though, so do what you can to make good BSD choices, but don’t allow that to spoil your enjoyment. I too have ‘social’ events this weekend, so although like you I am taking steps now and plan to afterwards, I’m conscious that there might be a blip upwards on the scales Sunday/Monday, but know that I can quickly deal with it by getting right back on track.

    Wishing everyone a great weekend, enjoy ….

  • posted by ClarinetCathy
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    Wendy – best wishes for your last working day and here’s to a very long and happy retirement. No more alarm clock ⏰ needed! I retired at the end of March (some said bad timing but not me) and the sense of freedom and liberation is fantastic. So, time for yourself now to do whatever you choose. Hope you’ve got a bottle of champagne on ice to celebrate this evening. Happy Retirement 🍾 x

  • posted by Olive_1
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    Hi all and happy Friday!
    Wendy – have a great last day today. I hope it is really special for you.
    Bryla – nice to see you back.
    RosyApple – glad you got over the hard day yesterday. It is really motivating when clothes start to fit better and look better. You Go!
    WindyJulz – so glad the fasting is working out for you. What ever you decide to do is fine, but I would have liked to enjoy the BBQ so would have saved the eating for then. It could affect your weigh in tomorrow but perhaps consider weighing on Sunday instead? Don’t let the scales rule your life! You know you are heading in the right direction already (you just choose the wrong weigh in day 😊)
    I’ve been fasting since dinner last night so just about 18 hours. Was not planning to do all day fasting today but am feeling rather fine now so may keep going a bit longer, or perhaps just have a light late lunch.
    It will also be a tricky night here as we are having “Italian night” and my daughters are going to make home made pasta (sigh!). But am planning to have lots of cold cut meat for antipasti, olives, cheese etc. Perhaps I’ll make those sardines in peppers tonight with recipe from GreenGal!

  • posted by WindyJulz
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    Olive – omelette pizza – 2 egg omelette cooked on both side, loaded with veggies and topped with tomato puree and cheese! You can totally join in!
    Well done on the fasting too! It beings a sense of achievement and I find helps me not focus on food too much.

    BBQ is sorted, I’m taking my own food so it will be fine. friends understand and its not going to be as wild an affair as i was fearing! Feel better about it now.

  • posted by sunshine-girl
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    Hi all, managed to survive the week although I have had some struggles. I had to tell daughter that we dont want to go on holiday to Spain with them in August. At first she was quite angry and upset saying we were being neurotic and the August is a long way off and things will be better. It was the not knowing that was causing me most anxiety as their are other things involved like our housesitter, who by the way was wonderful when I told her we had cancelled our holiday so her’s as well. She fully understood and asked me to promise I would give them priority for any future bookings. Right now we don’t know if we can go, only essential travel from France, but also worried about the risks around crowds, restaurants etc. Here we feel safe and have no intention of going anywhere. Anyway, she now understands as she is not even sure she will be allowed to go as they are going via Denmark, 2 adults and 5 children. Even their housesitter has said they want total distancing so will arrive an hour before family leave home and will leave an hour before they return. At least she knows we are not the only ones who are ‘neurotic’. Anyway, that upset would normally lead me off track on the plan but I managed to have a good old weep and moved on.

    Now I just have to get through the weekend without succumbing to the wine bottle. Hubby is fully on board and if I need a reminder I will go and try something on that I could get into 6 months ago and cant now. Hope you are all doing well and have a good weekend.

  • posted by Violinist
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    Morning all!
    May I join your weekly threads while I restart the 800 program for the next 10 weeks? Feel free to view my profile which has my history on this site and my personal numbers. I have always found you all to be wonderfully supportive and even got one of my favorite recipes from here – Zuchini Boats!
    Catherine

  • posted by Tulip1
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    Hello, happy here today! Lost another 2.5 lbs this week- that’s 14.5 lbs total! 1 stone and half a pound! What a mega milestone, I’m sure you all understand!!!!!

    12 st 3.8 lbs to 11 st 3.3 lbs and my BMI has gone down from 33.7 to 30.8 so far- ‘only overweight’ as opposed to ‘obese’ is so close I can taste it!!! My total required weight loss to get to the top of my normal BMI for my height (I’m v short 😂) at the beginning was 3 st 3lbs, or 45 lbs, so done a good chunk of that now, almost a 3rd!).

    Woooooooo

    Love to all xxx

  • posted by Tulip1
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    Anglesand,

    So many of my mega weight gains have either been during depressive episodes (I have bipolar) or ME (chronic fatigue syndrome) crashes….and of course that weight gain just feeds right back into the depression and/ or fatigue, a vicious cycle….

    BUT, this WOE is doing wonders for me atm, I believe in you, we have your back here,

    Clare xxxxx.

  • posted by Tulip1
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    Hi all,

    I have a question- how long do you guys feel it is safe to stay on the 800 cals part of this WOE? I’ve lost very nearly a 3rd of what I need to get to the top of my normal BMI- and have been on the plan for 4.5 weeks so far- To get to goal, I foresee that I may need to extend this period? Or would you move on at 8 weeks to some kind of intermittent fasting and maintain the WOE etc etc if you still had more weight to lose? I don’t quite understand exactly what IS the next part of the plan, although I did very thoroghly read the 8 week BSD book- altho I might need to go back and re-read sections??? All advice welcome 😊.

    Tia,
    Clare x.

    Thanks,
    Clare x.

  • posted by DoubleDutch
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    I heard Alliecat stayed safely on plan for about a year, but I think a lot depends on your current weight (I personally would not stay on 800 cals once I’m in a healthy bmi range) and how your body reacts. it’s usually best to listen to your body. I’m not a doctor and this is just my opinion, but I think if you feel good on this plan and you’re not underweight, you can do this as long as you want. I’ve been on or around 800 for about six months, but now I feel I need more cals. I’ll stay low carb though. Figuring out what’s next can be a bit daunting, while I was very comfortable doing fast 800 all the time. Good luck choosing your next step in this journey, we’ll be here! xx DD

  • posted by SunnyB
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    Firstly, happy 4th July to all our American friends … hope you have a wonderful day.
    Secondly, congratulations to all those able to report a discard, especially Tulip for breaking the 1st lost mark 🤸‍♂️🎉🌟 WooHoo!!!!
    Thirdly, in answer to your question about how long it is recommended to remain on the 800 cals regime, the official line is up to 12 weeks, which was posted by the forum administrators some time ago. That said, there are many forum participants who have continued beyond that, with some persisting until they have achieved their goal. Others have done eight weeks, then had a period of maintenance before doing another round of eight weeks ….. this was the pattern I used, eating to the BSD principles but increasing calories, keeping a weary eye on the carbs. However, the choice is a personal one and as such needs to your alone.

  • posted by SunnyB
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    Violinist, welcome back … I’m sure there are posters on the thread you will remember …. I remember you from before. Hope you will have a good eight weeks and we’ll look forward to hearing about your progress.

  • posted by Tulip1
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    DoubleDutch and SunnyB, thank you for your advice- I shall see how it goes, I’m only week 4.5 and no where near a normal weight for my height yet, so not in any danger of starving myself!! My inclination may be to go up to the 12 wèeks on the 800 cals as given my rate of loss, around 2lb per week, if it even remains at that rate, which it may not, I still may some way off normal weight….I guess I’ll maybe review how I feel at 8 weeks and decide then….

    SunnyB (and anyone else who has any ideas), when you went onto maintenance, did your weight stay the same, or did you lose, just more slowly?

    Feeling ab fab atm, healthier with heaps more energy and able to exercise easier too, not getting hungry really until mealtimes 😊😊

    Thanks,
    Clare x.

  • posted by ClarinetCathy
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    Tulip- when I started on BSD I did back to back 8 weeks until I got to my goal weight. In my first 8 weeks I lost 17.5 lb and I just assessed my weight after every 8 weeks until I got to goal weight. It took me 9 months to lose 42lb. I was a slow loser but just kept following the plan.

  • posted by 2eviltwins
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    Hi, I just started yesterday have a 15 lb goal but more importantly a health goal due to some poor blood work from my wicked sweet tooth. Congratulations 🎈 on your success and keep up the great work.

  • posted by Tulip1
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    Thank you Clarinet Cathy- the total I need to lose is 45 lbs to get to the top of my normal BMI so aiming for similar to you, thank you!
    Oh, and I’m a clarinettist too

    xx

  • posted by Rosyapple
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    Hi everyone!
    Well done on all your successes or for getting on board this WOE.
    Just thought I’d better check in! Feeling low and p****d off after this week’s event. Though I am still not eating on it, actually don’t even feel like eating at all. Still sticking to 3 meals despite this. Last night I just had a piece of cheese and a few walnuts which is not a bad thing I suppose. Just trying to go with my appetite.
    I’m off for a walk shortly, I usually have a rest day on Sunday but as I’m agitated it seems a good idea to get out for a while. Hoping I’ll at least feel a little better on my return.
    Have a good day all 🧡🌹🍏

  • posted by Butterlover
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    Hi Everyone.Ive not been posting as I don’t have any thing useful to say.In the last month I’ve been up and down on the same kilo,I’ve had good days at around 800 cals and hungry days at 1200cals.I can omit bread for 4 days and then eat 2 bread rolls the next.On Friday my first grandson was born and I celebrated with a danish pastry but only ate half as It was not that nice.Im not giving up and I’m just recognising that I need much more self discipline.I write my food down but I often change my mind from what I planned. After dinner eating is still a big issue.
    I’m determined to keep trying, eventually I will connect a few good days together and see some changes on the scales.Thanks to everyone posting I do find it helpfull .best wishes to you all

  • posted by Bryla
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    Happy retirement, Wendy 🍾!

    Big cheers and pompom waves for everyone who has reached a goal lately. Delighted for you about reaching target, Sunny. And big cheers for everyone who is finding that their next goal still isn’t quite in easy reach, but is hanging in there nonetheless. It will come!

    Tulip, I continued 800/<20g carb for about 15 weeks until I had reached my target. My goal was to get well into the healthy waist to height ratio bracket, since I was carrying soooo much around my middle and BMI never reflected that problem. When I moved to maintenance I stayed with very low carbs (still do) and continued to discard steadily for a good few weeks. I had used various online calculators to figure out what my calorie intake would be for maintenance, which was c 1600. There was no way I could double my calories overnight- it took a good few weeks to build up gradually adding more protein and healthy fat and learn to be a bit more relaxed. I’m not offering any answers, just sharing my experience. I just felt my way and reminded myself even if there wasn’t a ‘right’ approach there almost certainly wouldn’t be a wrong one.

    RosyApple I really feel for you. There is a toxic someone in my past who can pop up unexpectedly and wreak havoc too, pressing every button that shakes my self-confidence and self-worth. Keep breathing through it. You are so very strong I also recognise what you’re saying about losing your appetite. Definitely the case for me in the last 6 weeks. While I know it’s a sign of emotional strain that I need to deal with, I think it also means that my relationship with food has really shifted for the better. I never thought I would reach the point that I could ‘use’ food just as essential and enjoyable nutrition, not the answer to everything, but I think I’m there, or close, and perhaps you might be too!

    Butterlover, well done on only half the Danish! I know I’ve hoovered down endless food over the years without ever noticing whether it was tasty or not 😆. I reckon that’s a clear sign of your self-control flexing its muscles. And huge congratulations on that very lovely news about the new arrival to the family. Very special. If it’s any reassurance, French bread by the tonne (with or without butter) and whole packets of ginger biscuits used to be particular downfalls for me, but I haven’t touched either for 6 months and truly don’t crave them now. I think you’re onto something with the idea of trying not to break the chain of successful days – perhaps you could represent them visually with some version of an adult sticker chart, or something like pebbles in a jar? Visuals seems to help us with behaviour change – it’s harder to discount our achievements if we can actually see them, rather than trying to just hang on to them as an idea in amongst everything else buzzing around our brains. I also wonder what you are thinking and feeling when you make the decision to eat those bread rolls – no need to answer that here, but if we can figure out what’s tripping us up, then we can prepare to fight back when temptation rears its head. It might be different for you, but my problem with evening and even middle of the night eating was much less pronounced once I beat the carb monsters. You can do this and you don’t have to wait until you have something ‘useful’ to post – lean on us!

    Lots of love to everyone!

  • posted by Tulip1
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    Bryla- thank you, that’s really helpful ☺☺☺…..I feel really comfortable at the moment with the approx 800 daily cals (with the odd day over 900, but obvs trying to limit this) do shall take week by week, but obs v keen to get to my weight goal- I also have a waist to height ratio goal (just under 10″ to go now, still quite a lot!!) and also a normalise my blood sugars goal- my diabetes nurse (I am prediabetic) told me if I had made lots of positive changes I can ask to have my HBa1c re-done after 6m so planning to ask for this in November, it’s due annually by default.

    xxx

  • posted by Sarah1968
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    Hi Im new here hope you don’t mind me joining this thread.

    I’ve just finished 7th day , averaged 801 calories per day over the week and average 37g carbohydrates.
    Weightloss is 7lbs on weigh in (as of this morning) Interestingly have not felt hungry at all! (But did have a couple of minor headaches.)
    Roll on week 2..I’ve got a lot to lose, not diabetic but at 52 and very overweight I need to start taking care of myself and hope this is the start of a new me.

  • posted by 2eviltwins
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    Welcome Sarah1968 – I just started too! Congrats on week one and great job on the 7lb weight loss. I hope my first week goes just as well. I have posted a few times about how hard it has been to figure out what to eat – if you want to share what you eat in a day t
    hat would be helpful – some others have shared with me too. It has been a 2 day struggle LOL.

  • posted by Sarah1968
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    Ive been fasting from7pm to 12 noon (, I never enjoyed breakfast anyway and I prefer 2 ok size meals to 3 small ones) a couple of cups of green tea in the morning seems to be enough for me.
    I’ve not been very adventurous this week, lunch is usually a salad with prawns ham or feta cheese with a couple of salty olives thrown in dressed with olive oil and lemon or cider vinegar. Or lunch has been mushroom soup from a tin (M&S one is delish and only 240 calories and ok carb wise)
    Dinner has been a spicy chicken breast or pork chop with various veggies cooked in the oven in same pan – peppers, aubergine and courgettes etc . To finish a handful of raspberries, cherries or a peach or a pear.

    Main thing I’ve changed is stooping evening snacks, wine and during the day biscuits with a cappuccino type coffee. I switched to green tea and no snacking. And no bread – which is the one thing I’m really missing.

    2eviltwins, let me know how you get on with week 1 – it’s great that we are both starting out on this journey at similar times.

  • posted by Rosyapple
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    Hello lovely people! 🌞
    Welcome aboard Sarah1968
    Weighed in today and I’ve discarded 2 stones since starting this WOE (3.5 in total). Also passed the half way mark to my goal, so 2 mini goals in less than 1 week.
    I have gotten through a difficult few days without turning to food or substances. Amazing!!
    Despite being angry and sad I have not let my self confidence or determination waver which on many levels is a bigger achievement.
    Can’t quite believe where I’ve got to!!! This WOE definitely gets easier as you go along. It’s so freeing not to be living with constant cravings and perceived hunger.
    Have a good day everyone 🧡🌹🍏

  • posted by WindyJulz
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    Good morning, I’ve been quiet over the weekend, apologies. Its been a mixed on food wise. Friday i did really well – took salad and a grilled chicken breast to a BBQ / Pizza evening, drank fizzy water and had a nice time. Actually felt a little drained and had a few squares of dark chocolate when i got home as a “reward” for being so good. Showed myself that it is ok to cater for myself and not partake in the pizza, same as the vegan attendee took her own stuff.
    Saturday went well until dinner time, we opened some prosecco before dinner – it was planned, hubby was made redundant and got a new job during last week, everything signed off by thursday so there was a need to celebrate. Anyway, my meal was good, all on plan….. until the after dinner cheese situation which seems to be a theme when I’ve had a drink. So thats me, no more wine until end of august!
    Yesterday, again was ok but we had dinner with a friend so there was a slight over indulgence, but having logged it all, it wasnt that bad and was mostly on plan.
    So today, back to long fasts OMAD Monday and Wednesday, and maybe Friday, with 16:8 , 2 meals on Tuesday and Thursday. I felt really really good for doing this last week weight was down 1.5lbs by friday so hopeful i can chip away another 1lb…..
    Hubby has 2 weeks off before new job and I’m taking a couple of days off each week so hoping I can maintain the routine while we do this. I am very contented sitting at breakfast with just my black coffee. and I will be at work today and Wed mornigns so that’ll help with the fasts.

    Anyhoo – Nice to read all the posts and keep up with everyone.

    Rosyapple – you are doing so so well! Congrats on being epic and on the 2st discard – to be honest, the happier healthier mindset is more impressive that the 2st, so chuffed for you! Shows some strength!!

    Sarah1968 sounds like you are doing fab! Giving up snacking is a huge achievement, well done! Your routine looks spot on.

  • posted by JGwen
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    Hi Tulip1.
    You asked about what to do at the end of the 8 or 12 weeks. The Fast 800 book doesn’t specify a level of carbs, it promotes low carb and calorie counting, but doesn’t provide advice on the level of carbs to stick to during those 8 weeks or what to do beyond.

    For me the Fast 800 book was a stepping stone at the end of the 8 weeks I had made a lot of progress and it had lead me to start to read the research on how our bodies use food.

    In the UK where Dr MM lives and practices, the NHS sets policies which are linked to government policies to support the food industries. That does not happen in other countries. Since the Fast 800 book was written there has been more research, there are doctors in other countries who are attending conferences explaining their research to other doctors and lo carb enthusiasts. and people all around the world can learn from that knowledge as the talks are available as podcasts. When you look at the more recent work of other doctors, (and the Take a Look at This thread on the forum is a good place to find articles and books) then you start to understand the knowledge needed to work out for yourself the way forward for you because that will be different depending on your own personal circumstances. .

    It may be that you only had a small amount of weight to discard, and thanks to the couple of months of Fast 800 you have realised that the driving force of weight gain was caused by you turning to food at moments of stress. So thats an area you choose to work on.

    For those of us with more to discard. The body of research which was carried out on the contestants on The greatest looser, who were following the convention of “healthy low calorie eating and exercise to loose weight clearly demonstrates how our bodies adapt so that the resting metabolic rate drops to match the reduction in calories making it extremely difficult to maintain weight loss achieved after just a 6 month period of focusing on calorie counting if your insulin levels are too high to enable your body to switch into fat burning mode.

    Some long term members of the forum, like Alliecat have stuck at under 20g of carbs and calorie counting until they reach their target weight and then increase calories but not carb levels. (Basically when you have reached the point of using all of your own fat that you want to use as a fuel source then you just increase the amount of fat in your diet.)

    Another method is to follow Dr Fungs work, He recommends that the best protocol for women is to fast 3 times a week for 36 to 42 hours. That’s easier if you stick to low carb eating program between fasts, but you do not have to.

    Another method is to go fully keto, increase calories to above your resting metabolic rate and use exercise to encourage your body to increase muscle and reduce fat levels.

    Some of us are aware that years of dieting have damaged our metabolic rates. – There are articles and podcasts published on how to reverse that as part of a program of staying low carb.

    It is clear is this Way of Eating isn’t a diet that you follow for a short period of time and then can go back to your old way of eating. But your path will depend on your circumstances. What is really nice is that this forum is not moderated by as strictly as some other forums. There isn’t the Dr MM is god and every other Dr or protocol is wrong. – We are free to stay on the forum, share our experiences, share information on the latest research and stay around to lend a helping hand to newcomers struggling with the same aspects we struggled with.

  • posted by Olive_1
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    Hi all,
    New week and Monday is my weigh in day. I can celebrate getting to my latest mini-goal today, just made it to -15 kg! Started in Jan on 92 kg (I’m 1.66 m high) and just got to 77 kg. Very happy with that, and a good part of the way to my goal which is somewhere around 70 kgs.
    Am starting to feel quite ok with my body (am also working out a few times a week) with the exception of the tummy area where there is still a “bulge” and a “muffin top”. Never had a flat tummy in my life though, so can’t even imagine what that would be like. A win pregnancy really didn’t help either 😊. Did anyone actually get to a “flat” tummy after loosing + 20 kg? Would be encouraging to know.
    My approach to this WOE is really a lot of trial and error, with the focus on trying to listen to what my body tells me. I’m not counting calories, but focus on keeping the carbs as low as possible, which has worked out well for me. I’m now using the same approach with testing out intermittent fasting. Have been doing 16:8 for some time by delaying breakfast, this was no problem. Then went to skipping breakfast and going straight to lunch, which became more like 18:6. This was also fine. Last week I was taking it one step further by trying to do 3 days of 23 h fast (Mon, Wed, Fri), but here I could feel my body saying stop. For me at this point this was a bit too much. One day was fine, but the second was jut feeling uncomfortable and way too much thinking power was going into it. I just don’t want to do anything that steals my energy that much. I’m not saying that I won’t try again, but for now I think I will keep 23 h fast to one day a week maximum.
    JGwen – just wanted to say that your last post was vey well written and clearly reminds us of that we are all different and need to use different approaches.
    KOKO (Keep On Keeping On) everyone!
    Oh, Double Dutch – just read your 6 months story on the forum – very inspirational and loved the picture too.

  • posted by SunnyB
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    🎉🤸‍♂️🎉🤸‍♂️🎉 Brilliant result, Olive …. well done you. I would say, don’t push yourself so hard with the fasting. You’re doing really well and don’t need to stress yourself in this regard to get desired results. I lost a tad over 3st and gained a flat stomach for the first time in my life, so it can happen.

    Keep doing what you’re doing and you’ll achieve your goals for sure 😃😃

  • posted by wendleg
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    Hi everyone ! Yes, I have hung up my satchel and am officially retired from teaching ! Well my official date is the 1st September 😉 I had quite an emotional last week but I was thankful to have the opportunity to go back to school the last 2 weeks and say goodbye to my colleagues and pupils after such a strange time in lockdown.I was humbled to receive some beautiful gifts and a video presentation with messages and photos which made me cry !

    So that’s 21 years of teaching in the same school which has come to an end. I did find it hard to take on board that I really am retired but I intend to enjoy the summer and slowly adjust . I am sure I will feel ok when September comes around and I don’ t have to get up at 5.30 ever again !

    Sunshine girl ! One of my leaving gifts was a stay in a beautiful guest house in Sarlat ! It’s a lovely place with a swimming pool and we have booked for 3 nights mid September. My leaving ‘do’ in our village got postponed but I am hoping to reschedule for early September if we are allowed bigger gatherings then.

    So I have to turn a page and begin my new life now . It will be nice to have more time for frivolous pursuits and I can continue my fermenting experiements and DIY household products as well as aqua gym and yoga.

    I will also be more active on the forum. Sorry to have neglected you the last couple of weeks.

    I will start by setting up the new weekly thread .

    Thank you all for your good wishes !
    Wendy xx

  • posted by wendleg
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    The new weekly thread is ready , folks !

    One Week at a time beginning 7th July 2020 xx

  • posted by 2eviltwins
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    Hi Sarah1968 – Thanks for letting me know your food for the day – it was helpful. I am actually struggling a bit. My willpower seems to be getting the best of me. With the stress of Covid I have been using sweets to help. I will try to start again new tomorrow – I have cooked up some healthy food for the next few days and may pop on here instead of snacking. Continue your positive journey as it is inspiring!

  • posted by Tulip1
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    Hi JGwen, that goves me a lot to think about and look at, thank you 😊

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