Lovely post Wendleg, and so pleased that this WoE is working so well for you. It doesn’t seem long since your first post, and yet so much has changed for the better! You really are an inspiration for so many on here. Thank you for all you do.

I’ve been laying low recently with a lot going on, but dropped in here to see how everyone is going. What a great post Wendleg 🙂 I can relate to so much of it!
I’ve had a lot of health and family issues so far this year but woke up this morning and thought NO MORE EXCUSES! There is always going to be something going on but no need to neglect my diet while dealing with the situation, be it death, illness or household crisis!
I mentioned in the Road Trip thread that I’m going to try a 5:2 and 16:8 approach rather than 8 weeks of 800 calories which I keep trying and failing at after a few days.
I like the idea of the one week at a time thread and hope it will help to keep me on track.
I’m meal prepping today, will take my measurements later so here goes!

Thanks for checking on Albert, SixTurkeys (I don’t know whether to root for the mouse or the cat at your place!) – the vet called yesterday and it turns out he has hypothyroidism. Anyone have any videos I can watch on the effect of the BSD on the feline thyroid???? So, I have a couple of options – give him half a pill every 12 hours for the rest of his life and take him in regularly for comprehensive bloodwork. 2. Put him on an iodine-free diet which probably won’t work since he’s an indoor/outdoor cat and hard to control what he’s eating. He’s also picky. Or 3. take him to a specialist and have a radiology treatment on his thyroid. This would be a permanent solution and makes the most sense to me. Expensive but probably not over the long time. I need to put some weight back on him!! Something that has never been said about me…Poor Wendy has been inundated with Albert pics and I’m loving seeing her George and Bob in return.
Very inspiring messages from Wendy, Esnecca, JGwen and Verano – it’s obvious you have all been where some of us are and I wish for those of us struggling to stay on track, that we will have our lightbulb moment shortly.
ArcticFox – what about making some of those egg muffiny things. There are endless variations and I think they freeze and travel well. Here’s a link from the recipe part of the site but I know others here have made them slightly differently and might chime in.
https://thebloodsugardiet.com/recipes/simple-egg-muffins/
Hope everyone is having a good weekend. I’m finished with studying for my Spanish quiz and now I have to study for the final plus I just received the first lot of homework for my child advocacy training which starts this Wednesday evening. So, theoretically, I have plenty to keep me busy and my mind off food xx

Hi all. So sorry I haven’t posted for a couple of days. Work called me away for the weekend (Friday-Saturday) as I mentioned earlier but I am home now, Sunday, and have enjoyed a much needed sleep in. 🙂 While my diet could have been better over the weekend, I am quite proud of the effort I made and the reasonable result. Now though for more stringent measures. My aim is to reduce calories and eat the BSD way but I don’t think I am ready or prepared yet mentally to tackle the Fast 800 – maybe next week. ☺ This morning I have got off to a good start with a 2-egg omelette a sprinkling of spring onions, red capsicum, a couple of cherry tomatoes and a few cubes of our delicious Mersey Valley vintage cheese. Scrumptious. Now to the shops to stock up on some more groceries. I love to cook and last week on Masterchef Nigella Lawson cooked a mouthwatering dish of marinated lamb chops with a chilli, mint sauce using preserved lemons. Salivating yet? 😀 I might give this a go this week. :p My calculations puts this at about 450 calories per serving which I could easily halve (1 chop). For any of you who would like to check this out the link is: https://tenplay.com.au/channel-ten/masterchef/recipes/chilli-mint-lamb-cutlets-with-mint-preserve-lemon-sauce

Good morning everyone,
I really enjoy reading all your posts, you are so encouraging! I find it a bit difficult to post about myself because my childhood, and 64 years of habit mean that I don’t share any personal views or opinions easily and tend to view any sharing like this as weakness and vulnerability even is an anonymous forum like this. I’ve recognised it and I’m working on it, but if I go quiet for a bit that will be why.

It’s a good day today, I’m down in the 13 stones. Only just, 13st 13.6lb, but a milestone nonetheless. I’m trying to train my brain that when it thinks of food (of any type), it checks in with my stomach fist! What would make my stomach and body feel better, not mindlessly stuffing junk into my mouth for some hoped for emotional support that never comes.

Thanks for being there, all of you

Panda Bear, that recipe does sound good. Last night I had griddled lamb steak, with asparagus and peas, with butter and fresh torn mint leaves. It was very tasty (I know peas aren’t the best but I need to use up stuff in the freezer). Puddy, well done, I know that it is so encouraging to see that on the scales – and I am sure inches are also melting away! I understand about the reticence on personal matters (though I am sure it is not a sign of weakness) but do keep us posted on future successes!

Wow such a lovely post Wendy❤️ You inspire us all and I for one love that you don’t beat around the bush and speak to us the way you do. I know some could get offended and thus worried you but I don’t think you could upset anyone, we all know you are genuine and such a lovely lady. I really don’t know what I would have done in the beginning and throughout this woe so far if it hadn’t been for you, Essie, Allie and others. You are all so lovely and always ready to help and advise. Thank you for being you. 🤗❤️ It is truly appreciated.

Sorry I haven’t been around much I have had my parents here and we have been sorting out my Aunties funeral and enjoying spending time as a family. Unfortunately my father has been told that he has prostate cancer, but it is hopefully treatable and he should have all the necessary tests and scans within the next ten days so they can sort what treatment he needs. We are not worrying too much as he is in good hands. He is 80 and he says he has had a good run. Bless him.

I have kept up as best I can with the emails but we have been out and about and eating lovely food from this woe. Well done to all the newbies for joining us and having good results and to everyone well done with keeping on even when you are faced with challenges you are strong and I am in awe of you. I have consumed wine this weekend but my food was good, until too much wine on Friday which resulted in me eating Marmite in toast😱😱. It was two slices and I paid for it the next day with a bad bloated stomach! I will not be doing it again.

Kafin I hope Albert is doing better and I am sending him gentle scratches under his chin❤️❤️

I hope everyone has had a good weekend? I am always here cheering you all on as you are all amazing and we can do this. Love and Hugs Birdy💞🦜

Just popped in to report a small NSV. Today for the first time in my life, my breakfast consisted of a plateful of raw vegetables, including a small clove of raw crushed garlic, drizzled with a bit of olive oil. Never would I have thought that I could crave vegetables for breakfast as I grew up on breakfast cereals and toast with jam and fruit and thought that my recent transition to yogurt with berries and seeds or eggs was a step far enough. Perhaps my tastes are starting to change?

Birdy, I am sorry to hear about your Dad – all best to him for treatment (which has advanced leaps and bounds). I can imagine that this was a real double-whammy after your aunt’s death. Wine and marmite on toast blip will I am sure not hold you back (just like mine …and RICE! Honestly, I almost feel worse about fessing up to that than fags….But it was the first time since Jan and I have no cravings or desire for any more ). Arcticfox, your tastes have obviously moved several latitudes down – very Mediterranean! Tho I don’t think I could go to raw garlic. I can’t stand raw onion and have always picked it out of any prepped salad. Shellbob and Duckie, how are you? I echo Wendleg that it is a shame to see people drop off the thread. I’m hoping Budgie is still wielding his new frying pan, and Mr Custard Crumble is also doing well, and Nee, who joined just after me at the beginning of the year: a stonking start to her discard, and then life might have got in the way. I noticed today how easily (but unthinkingly) I just got up from a low armchair; no aches or pains, or levering myself up; just the power of my slimmer thighs and defo quite trim bottom, and I am sure the beneficial effect on inflammation. Digging up wild garlic is also surprisingly easy! Kafin, it might even be yoga next…And before anyone says, I know about the ciggies…

Hi from Sardinia! My sister and I are enjoying great food, and wonder of wonders, it’s BSD!
My sis has been reading MM and loves the woe though she hasn’t started it at home yet. She is feeling full without starches and bread or desserts.

The food we are eating in restaurants and in the apartment is low carb, just meat, fish and cheese dishes with non root vegetables. Occasionally nuts and dark chocolate, 1/2 glass wine at least every day I’m afraid! Nectarines are really ripe and tasty, and is our dessert.

Minced Beef in tomato peppers garlic and ginger sauce with Savoy cabbage went down well.
Mozzarella slices, tomatoes, tuna, sweetcorn salad, very familiar very good.
Omelette with smoked salmon, ricotta and
pecorino cheese, olives was very good too.

I had shark in spicy tomato sauce one night, the fish here is amazing.

Evening all!
Just popped by to say hello as I haven’t been around much the last couple of days.

arcticfox – I’m in awe of the veggies for breakfast! I think I’m a while away from wanting them for breaky, but I am becoming partial to a bit of salad for lunch, which is progress for me!

Busy weekend for me – trying to get the back garden in a fit state for summer; we’ve done four car loads to the tip and I’ve discovered I have more nettles and dandelions than grass, but I’ll call it progress! That, and a morning checking over the bees means I’m up for a very early night – absolutely shattered.

I’ve noticed my carb percentage is creeping up a little over the last few days, so I need to work at increasing fat a little and getting that in check. Not sure why as I’m not eating anything particularly carby, so will have to look into it more I think. No real issues from it though, so far – the scales will tell me on Tuesday no doubt!

I’m fancying chicken, green beans and either bare naked noodles or bare naked rice for dinner tomorrow. I’m trying to think of a suitable sauce to go with it, so it’s not too dry – any suggestions for what I could make?

Two emails to the email address, for onward transmission of my email address to Wendleg and Kafin (really trusting you here ladies…) have bounced back… Might the symbols be explained with longhand of the appropriate punctuation in the pre gmail bit?

You need to take all the extra symbols out and just write the first bit as one word then put in gmail.com 🤗💞🦜

No that is still bouncing back. Shame, Wendleg and Kafin, we might have shared some cute cat (and dog) pics.

I’m sorry it’s not working, SixTurkeys – I would love to share photos! Did you leave the numbers in? It’s just the symbols that need to come out. Becomes one word with @gmail.com at the end.

Beegirl
Chicken and green beans stir-fry
Heat coconut oil on moderate heat and fry slices of garlic til tender not browned. Add ginger (I prepare it by grating it unpeeled) Add parboiled green beans. If the chicken is already cooked put it in once the green beans are tender. If uncooked put into the hot oil with the ginger.
I like to add water to the pan juices if they are drying up.
Dress the stir-fry with sesame seed oil for flavour.
That gives a tasty sauce without flour or any other source of carbs.
I eat meat sauces with steamed cabbage or salad leaves. Cauliflower rice is nice but lots of work and washing up! Bare naked products, I haven’t tried them. Did you try them yet?
If you put the ingredients of your meals into an app like Myfitnesspal or fatsecret you will get lots of information about the carb content of your food. Some will be a surprise!

Panda Bear
Thanks for inspiring me to make an omelette and putting it together with all the nice tastes in the fridge. I put smoked salmon, pecorino cheese and tomatoes onto the plate with the omelette.

Articfox
Raw vegetables for breakfast! Sounds interesting. I love cheese, I can eat it anytime of day, and it’s great when travelling. But having spears of carrots and cheese will help me when there’s no good food available on my journey home.

Morning all my 6th week is over and thankfully I haven’t done much damage it has been quite challenging over the last couple of weeks. I have noticed that I have not drunk enough water as my face has been feeling a little swollen in the mornings when I get up. I am going to get back on the wagon this week and give my final week in this first round a massive push! Water intake will be up and I have new recipes to try out too! I am going for OMAD for the next two days and will be trying the golden latte again. I have my first physio therapy this Wednesday on my knee so I am hoping it will help to get rid of the pain in my hip that not walking quite right is causing. Off for a lovely dog walk now and then I need to take my mother in law to her hospital appointment and then take her shopping. I hope you all have a fab day. Keep on keeping on guys we all here. Love and hugs Birdy💞🦜

Morning 😀
Hope everyone is well, I had a lazy rest day yesterday, just switched between tv and reading.

I suppose I better go do my yoga and housework, can’t be lazy every day.

I’m going to attempt to make low carb sushi today, I haven’t even tried normal sushi before so this could get messy…
Wish me luck 😂

Morning NikNak you are amazing you have joined in and helped loads since you have joined us! Thank you for your enthusiasm and support. I have never tried to make sushi either but I do like the chicken one you can get but of course I haven’t had it since Beijing in this woe! The crispy onions they put on top would be a real no no! Good luck
In your attempt I hope it goes well for you. I did by some packets of seaweed last week but upon opening and smelling them and tasting a little it wasn’t for me🤮, such a shame as it is low in carb and full of iodine! Ah well at least I tried it🤣. I am sure you will have success. Birdy💞🦜

Morning everyone.
Checking back in and hoping you all had a decent weekend. Being lazy is Ok sometimes !
Not in your case, BeeGirl, you have been very busy !
I have been spending time listing clothes on Ebay while I am still off work.I have to stop charging up the stairs to do the measurements, not sure it is good for my recovery !! Hubby will be doing a trip to the post office later !
Hoping for a really positive week for everyone . I know the challenges are real.So glad Kafin’s Albert is recovering and there is a solution for his condition.
Patricia !! Sardinia sounds absolutely fantastic !! I love all the fish and I will be following in your footsteps soon !!
Birdy you have a busy day there. Hope physio brings you some relief.
I will check in later and set up a new weekly thread .
Love to everyone (smokers included 😉 😉 , couldn’t resist that !!!!!!!!!) xxx

Hi niknak, are you trying the diet doctor sushi recipe? Looks interesting!

Morning Wendy, we have had a wonderful week in Sardinia, nearly over unfortunately.
The fresh fruit and vegetables are very tasty, that is the great thing about having a decent kitchen in the apartment.

The restaurant close to our apartment in Fertilia is excellent. Really healthy choices available, and good value. I’ll give more details on the holidays thread.

Thankyou Birdy, I’m probably still in the exciting honeymoon faze of this WoE at the moment so I have the enthusiasm.

The sushi worked, half were a mess when I cut them but the other half looked like real sushi. It tasted really good which is what was more important.
It was similar to the diet doctor recipe, I used cream cheese instead of mayo and I flavoured with five spice and soy sauce as that’s more my tastebud.

Ahh I would love to be in Sardinia right now, I haven’t been there before but I have been to southern Italy and I love the Mediterranean.
I have been getting holiday/travel envy every time I hear someone is going away. Unfortunately I need to wait until I’ve saved up enough money but it’s been delayed with flat repair costs.
I have promised myself I would book a holiday if I reach my final goal weight, hopefully I can get the money sorted by then. Other wise it’s going to be a very cheap local week away 😂.

Oooh my chuckling goat Kefir has arrived and I have now got a use for the wine rack in my new fridge. Cool.
I make homemade yogurt and I’ve tried making my own kefir, aswell as trying other brands but none of them seem quite as good as the chuckling goat stuff to me. But with the price I only use it a couple of times per year, thought now would be quite beneficial.
Does anyone else do home fermentation foods? Or buy those products?

Hi NikNak I got some Kafir today as they were giving out money off vouchers and I thought why not! It is for the collective brand and I love their yogurt! I got the till and forgot to use the coupon!🤣🤣. Ah well if I like it I can get some more. I got the plain one as that is still 9g of carbs. Do you drink a whole bottle at once or do you just have a small amount at a time? I only have the small bottle. I don’t remember how many mls but I would say 100ml maybe. Esnecca does a lot of fermentation and I am going to start of with some sauerkraut as I love it. I have been on this WOE for 7 weeks now and I haven’t lost my enthusiasm yet and I hope I never do. It really has changed my life for the better. I have discarded just over 2 stone now and I would like to get rid of 3 more before I go into maintenance! So fingers crossed.

Hope everyone is having a great day. Birdy💞🦜

Is it your first time trying? They say if you have not had kefir before then to start with a teaspoon on day 1 and gradually increase until you get to 100-200ml. Mine recommends 170ml per day. But if the one you have is anything like the other branded ones I’ve tried then they tend to be a bit milder so you may be ok with more.

I don’t really like sauerkraut but I do like kimchi, I have read how to make it, but I don’t think I have the patience to wait! I do buy a small jar of it once a month though.

That’s a great place to be after 7 weeks. Even now it’s changed my opinions towards food, like I’m no longer afraid to let myself get hungry and I’m going to be thinking “how much is this going to affect my insulin levels?” When I choose food. And I’m not even diabetic. The idea of pure sugary sweets is just horrifying to me now.

Hi everyone
Just to say I will set up a new weekly thread with the help of Birdy and Allie. See you over there ! xx

Hi everyone,
I was doing some reading about emotional eating and came across this article:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/inside-out/201309/emotional-eating-5-reasons-you-can-t-stop
Most of the reasons didn’t really resonate with me, but #2 sure hit home. I think it is definitely the reason I have been stopping in at the supermarket on the way home to pick up something ‘nice’ for my evening meal. I never really thought of it this way, but I really think I have been feeling neglected and that I don’t have anything nice to look forward to. If I look at my spending over the last several months, the only two things I have been spending on that weren’t bills and household expenses or for my horse are fuel for my car and food, and even a lot of the fuel is so that I can go and see my horse every day! I have hardly been doing anything for myself, so yes, food has unfortunately been my only pleasure.
With that in mind, last night I stopped myself from being a sloth once I got home and I walked over to the local pool and did a few minutes of water running and had a good long soak in the hot tub. It cost me nothing essentially because I purchased an annual membership back in October to help with my rehab. This was when my horse was closer to home and I had more time. Since I moved him further away, I have had less time to do this. I am going to think of some other no or low cost things I can do that will make me feel better or will feel like I am treating myself. Swing dancing at lunch time on Thursdays is another one that I can do, but unfortunately I will be missing this week as I am travelling.

Thank you Arcticfox a good little read. Glad you have decided it is more you time that you need and I am sure you will find plenty to tickle your taste buds instead of food. I have faith in you💞🦜

So the end of my first week of ‘back to basics’ weighing and recording everything I ate and drank….. But I didn’t! In fact I have stopped weighing and logging and have started a ‘sin bin journal’, not recommended for newcomers. I just note down any ‘snacks’ I eat such as a few squares of 90% chocolate or a few ryvita and then my weight the following morning. So far 1lb down which has at least reversed the pattern. So now onto my week 2.

Wow,

I’ve lost 3 lbs this week, that’s 12lb in 3 weeks! I know most of it is water at this stage, but a little bit must be fat!

Let’s hope I can keep it up!

Puddy that is great news! Well done and yes a little if that will now be fat too!🤣. We have started a new thread for this week starting today the 21st of May. Why don’t you pop over there and share your news. Well done hun. Birdy💞🦜

Well done Puddy and you too V, a pound is a pound. I too have not done great, decided to have a Eurovision party and a few glasses were sank. Although, those who know me know I almost never touch carbs, so no crisps or nibbles, just wine. I dont think my head has been in this space as I have had so much to do, so much work and stress to get everything ready before the family arrive tomorrow. Daughter says ‘for Gods sake mum stop cleaning, we are only going to mess it up’. But it has not just been that. I have been digging my tomato patch, clearing up the strawberry patch, planted out courgettes and still have another potager to dig over to plant the rest of my tomatoes and 20 pots to clean and repot for all the geraniums. Well apparently the family are going to do all that for me when they get here. Hope they realise they are only here for a week. I will have to set them to work immediately.

All is not failure, I have lost 1.5 lbs and my BG is back down to 95 or 5.2 so I should not be too hard on myself.

Wont be around for the next week and then when they have left I might be able to set myself out a programme of reboot for the summer. Have a good week everyone.

Just want to say to any newbies who are using this WOE to lose weight and see posts like mine and Verano’s saying we are still at it after 3 years. 3 years and still no success I hear them cry. No, not true. Speaking for myself (V is able to speak for herself), I am diabetic and although my weight goes up and down with holidays and high days I am still a lot lighter than when I started BUT this main reason I continue on this diet is to control my diabetes and that is what really works for me. However, it isn’t a diet where I will lose the weight and then return to ‘normal’ eating. This is now my way of life as, whatever I weigh, it really does work for diabetics. I also know that if I have a bad episode and gain weight, I always keep my blood glucose in control and I can return to the 800 calories and lose weight very quickly and easily.

S-g thank you for posting and can I just second everything you have said.
I was really pleased to hear about your BS and that’s what it’s all about for us. At my last check up in March my HbA1c was 5.1 but my total cholesterol had dropped to 4.2 and that’s without any sort of medication. My normal level is between 4.8 and 5.2 and I actually asked if the lab could have made a mistake!
So, for anybody who has any health concerns this really does work in controlling diabetes, I’ve been in remission for over two years now, and reducing cholesterol and a host of other problems …. it’s also a great way to lose weight!